It Hurt So Much
by g33kg1rl
Summary: What if Ed confessed something to Al about their best friend? And what if while trying to find a way home, Ed landed him and Al in the middle of WWII? Between trying to find the toll for the gate and Nazi’s, will the brothers get out all right? LEMON EdXW
1. It Hurt So Much

Fullmetal Alchemist

By: Melissa the Damgel

I don't own anything of Fullmetal Alchemist. I just like playing with them and shoving them into situations we know we'd never see them in –and also I like seeing Ed and Winry play. …you'll know what I mean later! It's all for fun and kicks so don't sue! I'm not rich! Really!

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It Hurt So Much

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He watched The Gate flicker, slowly falling apart from within and dragging itself brick by brick into the vortex of golden light. It was so hard to destroy something he knew was the only link to his world, and the only way home.

Ed's heart sank and a feeling of utter despair dragged his insides deep into darkness and it threatened to consume him completely. His heart was squeezed from within till he felt all hope leave him; and he felt heavy, a heaviness that ached.

"We did it, Brother." Al smiled, his eyes locked on the collapsing of the staircase. He watched as the last bits of debris were sucked into the vanishing tunnel and a sense of accomplishment swelled within his chest.

Ed nodded faintly as he knitted his brows together and his golden eyes grew distant with thoughts. Maybe if they went now; maybe if they hurried they could get across the gate before it completely collapsed….

The Gate sputtered as if to taunt him, its lights flickered and it flared one last time before it sucked in on itself and disappeared from their sight like the last spark of a flame on a dieing ember that was swept away on the breeze.

Nothing but a memory.

The two brothers stared at the last place The Gate had been and emotions ran within their bodies with a mixture of satisfaction and confusion.

Al sighed, he felt heavy knowing he would never see his homeland again; but he was content, he was happy –he was the happiest he had been in two years. He was with his brother again. He turned then, opening his mouth to speak to Ed, but he stopped cold and stared at him while his heart dropped harshly to his toes. "Brother?"

Ed didn't turn his eyes away from where The Gate had been. Tears ran from his eyes and down over his cheeks in torrents. His hands curled into fists as his brows knitted together and twitched faintly.

"Brother? What's wrong?" Al asked gently, turning towards him as he tilted his head ever so faintly.

Edward's voice was quiet, nothing but a breathy whisper, "…I was going to marry her…" he murmured with his eyes locked upon the ceiling. His golden orbs began to mist over as a sea of emotions flickered across the dark golden surface.

"What?"

"Winry… I was going to marry her. I always thought I'd make it back and live with her and Pinako for awhile; and then I'd marry her and we'd live in that yellow house the rest of our lives. You'd rebuild our old house and live there… and our kids would grow up together…" Ed whispered, the tears fell harder and his face finally twisted up. His head gave a jerk and he bowed his head, teeth clenched and his breath shaky. "But I ruined that… I never told her either… I could have, but I… I got scared, and now I'll never have another chance." He hissed and shook his head. He stifled something within his throat and gritted his teeth; his tears falling to the ground in hot splashes.

Al's throat closed and he looked away, his own eyes tearing up and his lower lip trembling faintly, "Ed…"

Looking up slowly and forcing a smile so sad and hopeless that the shattering of his heart echoed within his eyes. Edward shook his head ever so slightly before he looked away again. "I'm okay. I just…"

"You loved her." Al blurted out in a hushed whisper even as tears fell from his eyes. He realized he would never see his childhood friend again, and Ed would never have a chance. They really were alone together in this strange world.

Ed closed his eyes; his shoulders squaring faintly even as they continued to sag. "…yeah…"

"I'm sorry…" Al hiccupped suddenly and lifted a hand, wiping at his face with the sleeve of his coat while he shook his head in shock, "I'm sorry…" It was all he could say. There was nothing more they could do; it was hopeless and they were lost from the one person they left behind that they should have known they would need.

"It's not your fault. It's mine… I was too much of a coward to tell her." Ed whispered and inhaled deeply to calm himself.

He turned to look at Al, the little brother whom he had fought against the very division of dimensions and worlds to once again be reunited with. He smiled sadly though there was a genuine light of sincerity that was turned towards his only sibling, "At least you're here with me." He told him quietly; his voice low and husky as though it was trapped and scratched against his words roughly.

Al looked away instead. It still hurt his chest more than words could describe at this very moment. Ed had once again given up everything. His own happiness was forfeited yet again and he didn't even realize he had given it up till it was too late. Ed always gave up everything for others without realizing he was being a hero. He was selfish yet so selfless; he was a walking contradiction.

"I'm sorry…" Al whispered again.

Ed turned his eyes away, they grew darker in color like soiled honey, "You idiot, it's not your fault."

"I should have brought her with me. I told her… I told her what you said; about her Automail… then I turned around and left. She was crying and I left her standing there…" he hiccupped and scrubbed at his face again. "I should have brought her; and you'd be happy…"

Flinching slightly, Ed raised his eyes and blinked his eyes several times as he plopped a hand atop his brother's head and ruffled his hair affectionately, "It's not your fault, Al. Hell, I didn't even tell you… you know… about how I felt about her." He whispered, his voice again growing raspy.

"But I did know, Brother. I teased you about it; and I teased you because I knew it was true…" Al sniffled.

He pulled his hand away and shoved his hand into his pocket –his thigh tingling faintly from the touch of cold metal against his skin through the cloth of his pants.

It was her metal –the one thing she loved so dearly as to devote her entire life too. He realized he would carry that part with him, her meticulous love and passion. He would carry something of her with him forever… but that just made him ache all the more and his eyes sting once again.

Edward stood there for a long time, listening to Al cry softly within the silence of the cavernous warehouse surrounding them where smoldering pieces of debris lay strewn across the concrete flooring. The Thule Society –or what remained of them- waited just outside the giant steel doors for them, wanting to learn if they had been successful or not.

He stood there, not because he didn't know what to do, but because he wanted to stay as close to her as possible –the last place he could have reached her if only he could have done something.

If Alphonse Heidrich had been alive and not lying dead not twenty feet from them, maybe he could have done something. Maybe he could have figured a way for them to destroy it on their way home.

The what-if's ran though his mind, only haunting him further till Edward Elric did the only thing he could do. He let out a sob and lifted a hand to his face as though to hide the shame of the tears sliding down his face in smoldering torrents.

He was such a cowered. He would die knowing he _never_ told her; and he would die also never knowing _if_...

Her name had been his code for 'home' in his journal. She and Al had been his only home after their mother died. And now his home was once again ripped to pieces. She'd never know the depths to which he truly felt for her.

She'd never know…

And it hurt so much.

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(sniffles) I'm such a horrible person! That was nothing but the most depressing piece of work EVER and I had to write it? I did feel that way though at the end of the Fullmetal Movie… I was so hoping for –SOMETHING- between them; ANYTHING more than just a hug… even if it was just a touch to the cheek and a moment of silence and their eyes did all the talking before he ran off… (sniffles) I wished so much for them to get together.

I know having Ed talk about the 'white picket fence' dream seems out of character; but I don't think it was… I really think he would want that after all his years of traveling and being tossed around and ordered around like a dog. I think that when he looks back on the happiest years of his life –it was living in that small, back-water's town in a home –a real four walls, a roof, and a yard, and a family, home. I truly believe that he would have wanted that again.

But I do think Ed would be a bachelor without Winry. Funny how that works? I just think he wouldn't have been _able_ to be with anyone else. He's so strong willed he would need someone else like that –and granted there are hundreds of women who could fill that roll, but there's just that special something with Ed and Winry, right? … just one of those things I can't get passed.

But I hope I didn't make anyone so depressed they wanted to slit their wrists. I cried when I was writing this at work (ironic that I wrote this in the middle of a room full of people. I'm grabbing tissues and crying and they are looking at me like I'm a freak). But I did… I got all teary and I kept thinking "you're horrible! How can you write this! Oh my gosh! (sniff) I'm horrible!"

I just kept thinking of what Winry's Japanese VA said –something like: "So Ed's not going to let me wait anymore." And THAT broke my heart! ;.;

So yeah, I'm full hardcore EdXWinry.

If this oneshot pans out like I think it's starting to in my head, there might be an actual story going to form and continue from this first part, and it'll involve them getting back together. (the OVA of the Hagaren Kids made me think "there is _no way_ his great-great (whatever) granddaughter would look that much like Winry unless…" and thus the idea was formed).

I know I'm babbling, but I guess I just had to get it out. I know no-one who wants to talk about Ed and Winry! (cries) so yeah… ya'll get the torment. ;) and I know it's a silly one-shot, but reviews are always helpful for me to know where I need to improve. And questions would be awesome for this one ;) maybe that story-idea will be kicked into gear by a question!

Thanks -

Melissa the Damgel


	2. Memories and Dreams

Fullmetal Alchemist

By: Melissa the Damgel

I don't own anything of Fullmetal Alchemist. I just like playing with them and shoving them into situations we know we'd never see them in –and also I like seeing Ed and Winry play. …you'll know what I mean later! It's all for fun and kicks so don't sue! I'm not rich! Really!

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It Hurt So Much

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Memories and Dreams

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_Edward smiled and leaned his head back before he fell backwards into the thick, lush grass spreading from the base of a giant oak. He stared up at the sky with the swaying leaves cutting into half his vision. He squint as the sun's rays flashed through the leaves and into his eyes. He wanted to close them to the light, but at the same time he refused too. If he closed his eyes, he would block out the sight of the intense blue of his homeland's sky. He didn't want that. He wanted to lay there, sprawled across the lush grass and drink in everything. _

_Who knew when he would see it next to appreciate it like he was at this time in his few and far between moments of silence. He almost felt as though he hadn't seen the Amestris sky for years._

"_Edward?"_

_He jerked upwards onto his elbows and blinked at the face of the young woman staring down at him. Her hair glowed in the sunlight and it seemed to create a golden aura around her body. He smiled softly though even his eyes grew sad. This _was_ a dream. He only ever saw her face in his dreams. _

"_Winry…" He whispered with a hint of sadness tinting his voice. He paused for a moment to take in everything about her –even tilting his head to check that she still had six studs in her ears; two on one side, four on the other. He was terrified he'd forget such details. _

_She smiled down at him before she moved closer to sit next to him and join him in the grass. "I haven't seen you for awhile…" She whispered, staring at him._

_Ed frowned and wanted to look away; but he couldn't. His eyes remained locked on her face, taking in the way a few strands of hair caressed her cheeks or swept over her forehead. "…yeah… sorry about that…" _

_As she stared at him in silence, Ed slowly realized she was taking in everything about him as well. It was unnerving and yet pleasant to feel her eyes roam over him. He sat up fully and placed his arms upon his bent knees as he turned his head to stare at her evenly. "Winry…"_

_She smiled and shook her head, her blue eyes growing sad yet happy all at once. "I'm just glad I could see you again. I miss you, Ed."_

_Frowning, Edward turned his face away to stare at the lush grass they sat upon, "This is just a dream…"_

"_But it's a happy dream." Winry explained as she inched closer to him and reached out to him. She delicately placed her palm against his cheek and gently urged him to turn his face back to her._

_Ed's face blossomed in a blush –and he felt silly for blushing; it was just a dream after all. He stared at her as she leaned in closer, very lightly resting her forehead against his._

"_If this is a dream, I can do whatever I want, right?"_

"_I guess…" He whispered and trailed off, shyly staring into her eyes and wondered if they always were so rich and desperate. _

_Winry smiled sadly, lifting her forehead from his though her face remained close to his. Tears gathered in her eyes even while a faint blush touched her cheeks as she stroked his cheek and trailed her fingertips along his jaw. "I miss you… I miss you and Al so much." She whispered._

_Ed flushed deeper at the feel of her fingers across his skin, but he didn't dare pull away nor look away from her. It was a dream, right? Then he was going to drink this moment in no matter how thoroughly it shattered his heart. "I miss you too…" he breathed the words out sadly and watched her blue eyes darken as tears formed along her lashes._

"_I feel like I was left behind again; only this time I can't even follow after you." Winry's voice continued and quivered past her lips. "At least when you traveled around the country I could always follow you if I wanted. This isn't fair Ed. You left me." She pulled back completely from him and sat back on her heels as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Her face twisted up in pain and she hiccupped, those tears falling from her eyes and her shoulders shook as she tried to keep her crying silent. _

_She lifted her eyes up to his suddenly with her brows knitted together painfully, "You left me! I can't even try and follow… why?" She demanded, raising a fist and pounding it against his right shoulder a few times, ignoring the small bit of pain as she hit metal and steel. She shook her head and hiccupped, leaning forward before she fell against his left shoulder and gripped at the front of his shirt._

_Edward's brows knitted together and he bowed his head towards hers. His arms wrapped around her quickly, tugging her close to his chest as she shook against him yet amazingly remaining silent as she cried.. "…I didn't mean too…" He whispered lamely. _

"_Am I really that unimportant? I gave up so much for you and… I was hoping to give up more for you when you came back." She shuddered and groped at him as she wrapped her arms about his neck even while he pulled her onto his lap and a hand went into her hair to hold her as securely to him as possible.. "…when you came back I was going to give you everything…" she whispered, her face turning red._

_He held her close and buried his nose into her hair. Squeezing his eyes shut as tightly as possible, he managed to withhold a flood of his own, but his voice shook more than he would have cared for. "You're more important to… to me than you know." He fumbled out, a scarlet flush crawling in to his face. _

_But he relaxed as he remembered this was a dream, it wasn't really her. He had so much bottled up inside. Why not admit it all?_

_He pulled back enough to kiss her temple awkwardly then lifted his hands to force her head from his shoulder so he could look her in the eyes once more. "… I… I wanted to marry you when I got back. Ever since I was a kid I knew I'd marry you."_

_Winry blushed and turned her eyes away for a moment as her heart fluttered. She peeked back at him, watching his face grow red. _

"_When Al and I fought over who would marry you, I fought my damn hardest that day, and I wouldn't forgive him for weeks after he won because of a cheap shot after mom yelled at us to stop. I wanted you to stay in Rizenbol because I knew you'd be safe; but also because I knew that after I got Al's body back, then I could go back and you could be my _real_ family. I just thought I'd make it back eventually… I didn't think _this_ would happen –end up in another world with no way back. It's like God kicked me in the face again and is laughing at me. Denying me the one thing… person… I thought…"_

"_Would be there waiting?" Winry interrupted him. Her crying had slowed to silent tears and she stared into his twisted and pain filled face. She reached up, her face softening as she wiped at his cheek with her thumb. "I was always waiting for you, Ed. I'm still waiting…"_

_Ed's eyes flickered as guilt and pain embedded themselves into the golden orbs. "Maybe you shouldn't anymore… I might not ever…"_

_Winry shook her head –even with his hands still cupping her cheeks, "I have too! I can't… not with someone else. We've gone through too much!" She shouted, one hand curling into his shirt at his shoulder while the other reached out for the nape of his neck and she pulled him closer, her lips locking onto his. _

_There was no hesitance, not even a flicker of embarrassment on Edward's part. He slipped an arm about her back quickly and pulled her close to him as his lips responded warmly against her desperate ones. _

_Shaking in his arms, Winry broke the kiss only because a sob broke through. Ed wiped his thumb over her cheek and pressed another kiss to her lips then to the side of her mouth, her cheek, and neck, before he moved back to kiss her brow just above her eye. _

"_It hurts so much…" She whispered, her hand slipping from his shoulder to press a hand to her chest. "I miss you so much!" She hiccupped and shook her head faintly. _

"_Don't cry, Winry… I don't like it when you cry…" Ed whispered though he felt tears prickling at his own eyes. _

_Winry shuddered, leaning into him and quickly stealing another kiss. "It's a dream, right? Then-"_

_Ed nodded against her lips, his own stealing a kiss from her. He cut off her breath for a moment and interrupted her words could he could mold his lips to hers and grunt in delight as he felt her tongue tease his before he pulled back enough to allow her to continue talking. His lips hovered over her own, begging her to hurry and talk so they could continue._

"_Then… just kiss me…" She whispered, brushing her lips over his, "…everywhere. Don't stop."_

_Ed did hesitate; but it was only for half a heartbeat. His eyes caught hers and he shivered from her look alone. His lips touched hers just as desperately and hungry as hers._

_Winry gripped at his collar, tugging him closer and shivering in delight as she felt his hands tug her shirt up so he could shove his hands under it and run his fingers over her flesh. His one metal hand wasn't as cold as she expected –but it was a dream; a good dream._

_She fumbled with his shirt, managing a few buttons free before she hissed and pulled away from the kiss to tug it out of his pants and up over his head, her own shirt being forced open by his hungry hands and fumbled off her arms to land somewhere in the grass behind them._

_With their hot breath hovering against the other's lips, they maneuvered themselves into freeing the other of all clothing without moving too far from the other. _

_Straddling his hips, Winry leaned fully into him, pressing a hiss into his lips as she forced him onto his back. She moaned against his lips when a hand gripped her breast and the other stroked up her spine tantalizingly. _

_Ed pulled her down on him, a hand burying itself into her hair and shivering as it slipped over his body and caressed him. His fingers squeezed the breast in his other hand, his palm fondling the flesh while his thumb rubbed roughly across her nipple and causing her to wriggle against him. _

_Licking his lips, Winry pulled back enough to breathe in shakily, another moan escaped her. "Ed…"_

_His hips lifted against hers and she panted harshly. Her thighs shook as she lowered herself a bit more onto his lap, rubbing against him and delighting in the grunt he let slip free from of his façade of control. He jerked his head back and she leaned in to kiss at his neck, nibbling at his flesh._

"_Awe…" Ed whined, a hand darting down to grip at her butt and attempted to push her down onto him more. _

_Winry whimpered, kissing his shoulder as she writhed atop him. His hands moved over her teasingly and demanding her to move a certain way. "Ed…" She hissed, her head leaning back slowly. _

_He jerked a hand away from her breast and he managed to get his elbow under him as he pushed himself up and rolled her onto her back. He took only a second to take in the site of her hair splayed around her body and predominately to one side of her. A few strands lay across her shoulder and neck, and one fell across her brow and down over her nose to curl about her cheek. _

_Though he only stared for a heartbeat in time, that beautiful image of her was burned into his mind's eyes. _

_Bowing over her, his lips latched onto hers; one hand behind her neck to cradle her closer, his metal hand lifted one of her thighs up to his ribs and he nudged her other thigh wider as he settled against her and rubbed against her slowly._

_Winry moaned against his lips, her hands gripping at his shoulders and digging into his flesh as she lifted her hips, her tongue lashing out against his. She jerked her hand away from his shoulder suddenly and reached down between them, gripping his member and positioned it where it needed to be. _

"_Ed…" She whispered impatiently, her head falling back slightly._

_That's all it took, he pushed into her and her lips parted in a long, silent moan. _

_Ed held his breath, his hips pushing in till he leaned over her protectively and he slid completely within her. He managed a shaky kiss to her cheek before he pulled out, arched his back then drove back in, grunting in delight as pleasure shot through his body and he shook, gripping her closer to him._

_She squeaked and squeezed her eyes shut as she felt his lips hover so close to hers. She caught her breath as the pleasure increased and she moaned, arching her back and tilting her head while she gripped at him; her other thigh hooking over his hip and urging him faster as he filled her quickly with another thrust._

_Groaning against her neck, Ed's pace increased as he lunged into the warm, moist depths of her body that gripped at him and shuddered as he rubbed against her in all the right ways. _

"_M… awe! More!" She gasped, her head tossing as she gave out a series of stifled moans that squeaked in her throat, her body arching slowly but sharper the more he moved. _

"_Win…" He hissed and groaned against her skin as he kissed the corner of her mouth, his hips thrusting faster against her and driving himself into her relentlessly. Her leg moved higher from his hip to his ribs and her heel dug into the corner of his hip, causing him to jerk against her several times. _

_Winry cried out and her own hips jerked against his quickly, her toes curling as she writhed against him, and felt warm intensity shoot throughout her body and clutch tightly around his member that drove into her._

_Edward growled and groaned loudly, his lips locking onto hers as he pounded into her several more times. He felt his balls tighten and he jerked, thrusting hard once more before he released hard into her simmering depths. "Winry!" He shouted against her lips, his hips moving several more times before he collapsed atop her with his nose buried in her hair behind her ear._

_She was limp under him, her leg slipping from his waist only to have her ankle hook at the crook of his knee. She ran her hands over his body, her fingers briefly running over his scars and tracing the metal before she turned her absentminded hands to his spine and shoulders. Traveling over his back and feeling the sinews and corded muscles that lay under the tanned skin. _

"_I don't want to wake up…" Winry whispered suddenly and hid her face against his neck, "I don't want to wake up; I don't want too. I want to stay here forever; even if it is a dream…." She shook and gripped at him, a hand curling about his hair that had managed to stay tied back in a ponytail. _

_Ed carefully pulled himself out from within her and his lips fluttered over her temple and down to her lips. "I'll just sleep as long as possible… that way you can stay here with me." He whispered, his own hands gripping at her to hold her against him tightly. _

_Winry stifled a sob as she turned her head, kissing his lips and receiving a hungry one from him in return. _

_They lay like that, in the warm sun, partially shaded by the leaves as they swayed in the breeze and let the sunlight filter through them to tickle their cooling skin. _

"_I love you, Ed. I always loved you! I don't want to go away!" Her lips darted in and over his face as his hands ran over her body in a soothing, caressing motion to calm her. _

_Ed closed his eyes, dipping his head to nuzzle at her neck –it was a dream. "I love you too…" he whispered. _

_The world around them began to fade and Winry whimpered, her arms tightening about his shoulder, "No…"_

_His face twisted up as he gripped her closer, inhaling her dull scent, trying to remember _exactly_ how she smelt. "I'll find a way back… I have too." He whispered, mostly to himself, though his dream Winry calmed and she nodded, kissing his neck and cheek then his lips again as she slowly faded before his eyes. _

"_I'll wait. I'll always wait." She whispered, her lips brushing his then she disappeared as did the world of Amestris in his dreams. She left him in the dark, kneeling over space and emptiness. He bowed his head and shook as the loneliness descended around him, locking him away in its cold depths –so shockingly different from the summer-time warmth he had just shared with Winry. _

_And then there was a noise –an annoying, consistent ringing…_

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Ed's eyes snapped open. He winced as the alarm clock to his left rattled loudly as the metal hammer banged against the twin bells on either side of it. He reached over and turned the clock off, and he lay there against the mattress –feeling warm, and flushed, yet cold, wet and sticky farther down where a particular substance stained his shorts and lay cooling against his crotch.

He closed his eyes and his brows knitted together before he covered his eyes with his left hand, groping for his dream to be remembered and allow him to bask in the warmth as long as possible, for that's all he had left of her other than the metal arm and leg.

She was beautiful; strong and graceful. His mind groped for his dream and it rushed back into his mind's eye, leaving him shaking faintly from the despair that it wasn't real. Even in his dream he had silently hoped it was real; that somehow he had made it back.

Ed's thoughts focused once more onto the image of her laying under him, her hair splayed out around her, mostly to her right. His mind's eye traveled up her bare chest to her face, taking in the sight of the tendrils of hair caressing her skin and teasing him all the more as they faintly moved in the breeze and stroked her cheek.

With a hand gripping the bedding under him, Ed sat up, his other hand sliding down his face before it pulled the blankets back so he could carefully slip out of bed. He rummaged through his drawers; pulling out a clean pair of shorts and pants before he made his way to the washroom to clean up.

He gazed at himself in the mirror; feeling slightly hollow; Ed gripped the sink, wishing he could have stopped time and dreamt of her forever.

But he knew it wasn't possible –and Al and he were on the trail of Hess, tracking down him and his Uranium bomb. They had to stop him. Their one last great adventure before…

He didn't want to think of it, but it forced its way into his mind. Their one last great adventure before him and Al would start a life. Doing what, he didn't know. Maybe they'd be scientists; it was about the only thing a former Alchemist would be good at.

But a life without her; without Winry? It caused his stomach to plummet and his eyes to drop down to the drain in the sink.

Maybe his dream Winry would be enough. Other than his arm and leg, that's all he had of her… that, and memories. And now even his dreams were permeated with her.

Memories and dreams. They would have to do.

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Winry's eyes fluttered open and she rolled to her side, curling up on herself before she let loose the sob she had woken up with into her pillow. It was odd waking up from a dream crying –but this time the pain was more real than usual. She didn't feel numb and silly for crying as she usually did. She felt like her heart had been shattered and she was left to die on the side of the road.

She wrapped her arms about herself as her head bowed and hid under the blankets. She had finally dreamed of him for longer than a flicker of time; or of a memory that was twisted into her present.

They had made love and he had told her he loved her; that he had wanted to marry her.

Winry laughed bitterly even as tears slid over her nose to fall into the sheets. She had felt happy once again if only for a moment in time. She had felt loved and cared for –not alone and uneasy.

But it was just a dream –she knew Ed didn't really say those things, or mean those things. Hell, she doubted he even thought those things. But it had been so wonderful to hear –even if they were just in a dream.

She sniffled, lingering on the feeling of his arms around her –it had been so real! She could still feel the way his hands gripped her, ran over her and pressed into her. She wanted that to last forever. She didn't move, her eyes closing as she forced that dream to the forefront of her mind and she relived the moment in her mind's eye. Shivers ran down her spine, but she didn't move just yet. She wanted to feel alive for a little bit longer…

But this dream didn't fade into the fogginess that most dreams drift off too; it stayed clean and clear for her –and she was grateful. It just might be the only memory she had of Ed loving her.

But it still hurt.

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I'm not really sure where this came from, but it seemed appropriate for some odd reason. I thought it up at 1 in the morning and finished writing it at 3; then I had to go to work at 6 . oh the pain. But that's okay. When the muse hits you can't ignore her. Otherwise they get you back by giving you writer's block for three months -

I still don't know where I'm going with this; but I think it just turned into a story o.0 though I like the idea and I already figured out everything involving the Gate and stuff. So I guess I have an obligation to write it for ya'll.

I hope you liked it - it's my first lemon. I wasn't sure… it felt too fast but that makes sense because it's in a dream, and they would be scared of waking up and not 'finishing' so to speak. .. I'll just shut up…

Yeah, I don't have much else to say. But considering I wrote this in two hours (minus the hours it took to correct), I like how it turned out. So we'll see what happens -

Melissa The Damgel


	3. One Last Time

Fullmetal Alchemist

By: Melissa the Damgel

I don't own anything of Fullmetal Alchemist. I just like playing with them and shoving them into situations we know we'd never see them in –and also I like seeing Ed and Winry play. …you'll know what I mean later! It's all for fun and kicks so don't sue! I'm not rich! Really!

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It Hurt So Much

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One Last Time

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Tightening his fist against his thigh, Ed stared up at the ceiling where the neatly fixed array once more was painted onto the ceiling, as well as the newly chalked array at his feet. He narrowed his eyes faintly, and his brows slowly knitted together, but his features didn't appear to be angry –he looked desperate.

"It has to work…" He whispered, gritting his teeth together before he turned, his golden eyes filling with his characteristic determination and stubbornness. "Ready?"

Al hesitated and looked up towards the ceiling then back to Ed, "Brother…" but his voice felled him and his heart sank. This wasn't a good idea. He felt it. He just _knew_ this was a bad idea. The look in his brother's eyes stopped him though. Al looked away and frowned at nothing in particular. "Should we really risk this? What if it doesn't work right? What if…"

Slowly, realization hit Ed and his shoulders fell slightly. His eyes grew distant and the pain he had felt every day for the last month once again was slammed into his system. "Sorry Al, this was stupid…"

"It's not stupid." Al told him quickly, lifting his gray yet warm brown eyes to his brother, "I'm just worried that if we really do this, we'll lose everything again."

"I know. That's why it's stupid." Ed turned again, his fists tightening further and the knuckles on his left hand turned white as the anger filled him. He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking faintly. "I just…"

"…then let's do it." Al whispered, his eyes studying his brother's bent back. He had never seen Ed appear so… well... desperate.

"Al…"

"You're the one who dragged me out of bed to show me this! Let's just try!" Al snapped, marching up to the array to join Ed. He thrust his hand out to Ed, his eyes hard and determined –a common Elric trait.

Lifting his eyes, Ed considered his younger brother as he gave a small sigh before he nodded. He straightened his back and he turned slightly as he bent down and lifted a knife from the ground. He reached over and pricked Al's finger. It was funny; it was like they were ten and eleven again making the same mistake once again. Ed hesitated as he stared at the knife before he suddenly moved the blade from his finger and slid the edge over his open palm in a quick movement, cutting deeply and drawing blood immediately.

"Brother!" Al shouted, shock clearly written upon his face.

"Come on." He turned and knelt before the array, waiting for Al to join him.

Al stared at his brother then to the consistent drops of blood that fell from his curled hand. He watched the red drops fall and then slash across the array in alternating patterns. He frowned and knelt beside him, squeezing his finger to draw more blood to the tip before he nodded to Ed.

"I think this will work. I just hadn't realized it till now. Maybe our blood in a catalyst to open the gate. It happened the first time when I was here. I had a cut on my face and I had wiped it away before touching the array out of nostalgia. Then Dad…" he paused. That image of his father's rain of blood would haunt him forever. "…his blood transmuted Envy and it opened that permanent gate." Ed explained for the dozenth time. "With our blood…"

"It will work." Al reassured him and smiled faintly.

Ed looked to Al, fear of disappointment lingering within the amber depths. But he nodded, trying to look confident. "All right, on three," he ordered and looked to the array –his blood already seeming to sizzle against the alchemic design, "One."

"Two." Al followed.

"Three!" Ed shouted and the brother's slapped their hands to the array.

…Nothing happened.

Ed started at the chalk before his eyes slipped closed and his shoulders fell as he bowed his head.

"Brother?" Al whispered.

Something flickered past Ed's closed eyelids –a light that urged him to open them once again. In a flash, Ed did just that.

It was different, the array was blue, and it was glowing. "Al?" He hissed, glancing over at his brother.

Al smiled slowly and his warm eyes brightened with hope and joy, "Its working!" He squeaked out.

Ed grinned slowly and lifted his head up as he watched the two circles twist about one another, colliding in the middle and grating against the other as their opposing movements stumbled over the others before a flash of light erupted from between their alchemic powers. Like an eruption imploding in the center, light moved outwards in a blast of energy across the length of the room; shattering windows and shaking the very foundation of the old factory.

And from the center grew something, a pair of stairs; no, a vortex.

Another flash of light rattled the metal staircase off to the side before Ed and Al were standing before something all too familiar.

"Brother?" Al asked nervously.

Stepping forward, Ed rushed to the doors, pounding upon the intricately carved stonework, "Let us in, damnit!"

_You are both so foolish._

Ed stopped in his movements and turned sharply, first seeing Al stumble away from something before his eyes slid over the figure sitting off to the side with a despicable grin upon his face.

Without hesitation, Ed stomped over to the figure –though the very fear of God; or something similar- was filling him upon looking upon the nothing-ness face of the vaguely human outline, Ed approached him and stopped himself just short of grabbing the being and shaking him. "Let us through! We don't want anything but to go home. Let us pass through!"

The figure laughed, the white teeth appearing from within that void face. _You really think you can get through without a payment toll?_

The words were coming from the being, but it was weird, it was fluttery and all over, surrounding the brothers and pressing into their skin before it snaked under it and into their eyes and ears, shoving themselves under their fingernails like dirt.

Al shuddered and folded his arms over his chest as though to protect himself.

"But we don't want anything in return, just to pass through!"

_You can't ride a train without paying a fee; how is this any different?_ The being asked with a faint tilt of his head and a tap of his finger against his knee.

Ed stared at the figure as realization hit him, "What do you want? Do you want my other leg? My other arm? My memories? My heart? Tell me damnit!"

_A life. I want one of your lives. _

Taking a step back in revulsion, Ed shook his head, his teeth gritting and he practically snarled at the being.

Al's eyes closed and his heart sank.

_You all are from a different world; I want one of your lives for you to go through. After all, one of you is responsible for this mess being started in the first place. I think it's far that he be the one to pay the price of you to return._

Ed shook his head and turned, stomping away as he squeezed his eyes shut. "What about bringing someone here? Would that cost any-"

"Ed! Don't!" Al shouted, horror written across his face.

Looking to Al with a guilty and pathetic face that said so much, Ed stared at Al for a moment longer with his brows knitted before he looked away, "Sorry…" He whispered.

The being, the Guardian to the Gate, the Truth, The Universe, The World, the One, the All, or God; or whatever the hell he was, he just laughed. _I can't bring someone here without a toll either –you _want_ her here, so I can't grant that desire unless you give me a payment._

"Forget it then. Send us back." Ed shouted with a growl to his words, his eyes squeezing shut as his hands clenched.

The being tilted his head, and slowly that grin crawled upon his face and revealed his large white teeth,_ I'll send you back; but I'll help you out; I'll send you back to the right time and place where, if you look hard enough and long enough, you'll be able to find the _other _payment to give me that will allow you to go to the other side of the Gate, and home to her.._

Ed turned, and Al's face twisted in confusion, "The 'other payment'?" He asked carefully.

The being turned his head slowly and grinned, _You didn't really think that you two were the _only_ payment I'd accept, did you?_ He laughed and stood slowly, stalking towards them with his shoulders hunched and his head bowed –looking human, yet so inhuman all at once.

Al backed up quickly as it passed him and stalked up to Ed, staring in his face with his blank face, _You'll figure it out –just like you figured out how to finally activate the alchemy of this world._ He snickered and shoved Ed backwards with his right arm –with Ed's own arm.

Ed shouted and fell backwards, lying upon the ground for a time before he finally realized he was staring up at the ceiling of the factory.

"Al!" He shouted and bolted upright, ignoring the blood rushing to his head and the dizzy spell that bombarded him from behind his eyes.

"Brother?" Al asked cautiously, lifting himself up from the ground.

Ed stared at Al, running his eyes over his body and noting he still _had_ a body and all his limbs. He sighed in relief and smiled weakly, "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, just a headache. What do you think _it_ meant?" He asked as he flopped over onto his butt and sighed, leaning his head back with his eyes closed to try and ward off the pounding in his temples.

Frowning and leaning forward so he could rest his elbows on his knees and his hands covering his brow, Ed faintly shook his head, "I don't know. But if there really is another payment we can give that bastard, then we'll find it."

Al considered his brother's words then nodded, "Yeah," He turned his head and shot him a cocky grin, "We'll find it and go home."

Ed smiled slowly before it shifted into that silly grin of his, "Yeah. Let's get home and rest. We're going to be busy tomorrow; we've got so much research to do."

"But how are we going to do that? This world doesn't have the same books as back home." Al frowned, grunting as he stood slowly with Ed following his lead.

"I know, but they have other books, different types of things that might try to explain the Gate." Ed explained, even as he looked at his cut palm and frowned at the blood that still flowed from it, and the ache he already felt taking root.

Al glanced at his brother's hand then waved his own hand vaguely at his side, "Come on; we should go. I'm sure Gracias has some bandages you can use.

"Yeah, you're right." Ed dropped his hand, curling his fist, and then he led the way out of the warehouse.

The brothers headed out into the dark streets of Munich, Germany, and quietly made their way down the streets, making their way back to the boarding house they were staying in for the time being.

"Damn!" Ed whined, looking at his hand again, "This really hurts!"

"Well, that's what you get for cutting your palm open instead of a finger. I think even just a drop of blood would have worked. You didn't need to do so much."

"I know! But I wanted to make sure it worked right!" Ed defended himself, though it was rather weak. He sighed heavily and dropped his hand once again and trudged through the streets.

He frowned suddenly and looked around. It was so quiet; and it seemed different somehow. "Al?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you notice anything?" Ed asked slowly, slowly scanning his eyes about the area.

Al blinked in surprise then let his eyes roam the streets before he stopped suddenly. "It's so quiet… and what are those flags on the lampposts?"

Ed looked to one of the posts and found to his surprise that there was indeed a flag. He stopped and moved closer to it, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied it. Where had he seen it before?

"Brother?"

He stared hard at the red flag with the white circle and the funny signal in the middle. "I've seen this before. Where…" He whispered to himself, his mind twisting inside-out trying to remember.

In a flash, his mind jumped backwards to nearly a month ago when he had been held back by this world's officer Hughes. The man had lifted his hand and placed it over his heart –where there was a pin tacked to the lapels of his coat.

"What the hell?" Ed hissed, taking a step back. He looked up and down the street, noting that about every two hundred feet or so there were flags posted on lampposts or doors. There were smaller flags in the corner of windows of homes and businesses. He hadn't seen these so openly displayed before. "I thought…" He stopped then frowned and turned, his pace picking up speed as he hurried through the streets to get back to the shop.

"Brother?" Al called, hurrying after Ed. "Brother, what is it?"

"It's the Nazi party. I don't get it though. I thought they were under arrest for that beer hall thing last month. Why do they have flags up all of a sudden? We weren't in the warehouse _that_ long!"

Al frowned and walked next to his brother, keeping pace with him easily –his legs _were_ longer after all. "Brother? Who are the Nazi's?"

"I don't know. Something to do with workers… but they staged an uprising last month and their leader was arrested. Many of them were jailed or ran off to hide. I don't think they could have recover this quickly; not after something like that."

"So what is it?" Al asked, frowning as he glanced over at several men with guns standing on the corners –motioning towards the brothers as they hurried through the streets.

Ed shook his head, crossing the street quickly as he headed for the flower shop that Gracias owned. "I don't know what it means. It's just… this is too weird." He explained and reached for the door, and then ran right into it. He blinked in surprise and jiggled the handle. He frowned and stepped back from the door then tried the door knob again only to be met with a locked door.

"Brother?"

Turning to his brother, Ed gave him a sheepish grin as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a pair of keys, "Heh, sorry. I guess Gracias locked the door this time." He looked back to the door, a bit confused for she had never done that before in the past; but he shrugged it off. He shoved the key into the lock and opened the door.

He walked inside with Al at his heels and he shut the door, locking it behind him. Ed sighed and started up the stairs, his hand on the railing as he ascended, "We'll ask her tomorrow if anything funny happened. I'm sure she'll be able to tell us if something weird went on."

"Hold it! Don't move another inch!" A man shouted at the bottom of the steps.

Ed blinked and turned, as did Al, taking a step to the side to allow Ed to see.

The man at the bottom of the steps held a pistol in his hand, pointing upwards at the two brothers. His face was shadowed, but his steady hand stated quite clearly he was well versed in the art of shooting someone.

"Brother?" Al asked shakily –it was at this moment he realized just how vulnerable he was without alchemy. He would have gladly given an arm and leg to have it back!

"What are you two doing?" The man asked, "Well? Answer me!" He barked.

Ed glared, "We live here." He spat out. "I should be asking _you_ that!"

The man shifted an inch closer and carefully reached out to flip the hall light on. As the electricity hummed and flickered to life, so did the face of their 'host'.

Knitting his brows together in confusion, Ed tilted his head owlishly, "Wha'… Hughes, what the hell is this?"

Officer Hughes stood at the bottom of the steps, clad in only a pair of sleeping pants and his pistol trained on the two above him slightly. A flicker of recognition flashed through his eyes and he slowly lowered his gun, his own brows knitting together in confusion. "Edward? Alphonse? What are you doing here?"

Blinking, Ed moved down the stairs, "What the hell do you mean? We live here!"

"But… where have you been?" Hughes asked.

And it was at that moment that Ed finally took notice of the receding hairline of Hughes' brow and the deeper wrinkles around his eyes and mouth; not to mention the not so trim body he now had. In short, Hughes looked older.

"We were just down at the warehouse. I… We were just…uh… checking something." He explained carefully.

Hughes frowned, "Ed, you shouldn't have come back. You should have just stayed wherever it was you were."

Now real bewilderment and fear gripped at Ed's gut, "Why? Did something happen? Where's Gracias? Noa?"

Hughes frowned, "Gracias' fine. She's in bed sleeping. But Noa… they took her and her family last year; locked them up somewhere in Poland."

Ed stared at nothing in particular for a moment before his brain kicked back into working mode and analyzed the man's words, "…Last year?" He asked carefully, looking up at Hughes.

"What do you mean?" Al moved down the stairs to join his brother, his brows drawn together in a painful look.

Frowning, Hughes looked to Al then back to Ed. "When the war broke out, it was okay at first; but then they started to get rid of the undesirables. Noa and her family got caught early on and were taken away. I got a letter from her a few months ago –but it doesn't sound good. It sounded like her little girl was sick and probably wouldn't make it."

"What?" Ed asked again.

"When did Noa have a girl?" Al asked in confusion.

"About four years ago."

Ed looked to Al; both of their faces twisted up in puzzlement.

"…Hey, Hughes? What's the date?"

Frowning, Hughes folded his arms over his bare chest. "September 9."

A deeper frown grew over Ed's face. It had been December when they had tried the alchemy, "…and the year?"

A suspicious look slapped itself over Hughes' face, "1940."

Ed stared and Al's jaw dropped, "But… Brother, didn't you say it was…"

"Yeah…" Ed whispered, staring at Hughes in shock, "We've been gone for seventeen years?"

"Yeah, and _I _for one would like to know where you two went." Hughes sighed and scratched his head as he finally allowed himself to relax. "You missed my wedding; and the birth of our precious angels!" Hughes cooed happy and nearly giggled like a school girl –he looked ready to dash off and pull out the pictures.

But Ed wasn't paying attention. Seventeen years? What the hell had happened? When did… how? "How?" He asked aloud, not really expecting to get an answer; he just needed to say it.

"Ed?" Al whispered, looking to his brother with a penetrating look that clearly said 'I know', "The Gate."

His heart dropped. The Gate -it had transported them through time…

As the shock fully settled into his mind, it made his shoulders heavy and sag in despair. "What the hell…" Ed hissed.

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Author's Note:

So yeah, this one was one of those random writings I did on my day off when I really should have been working on my Alchemic Wizard story –I really meant too! I swear! ;.; I don't know where I went wrong! But at the same time I like how this turned out.

Gah! I don't think I've ever researched so much about WWII and pre WWII/post WWI. My brain hurts! . but that's okay; I now know what I need to get this puppy goin' more deeply. And yes! There is a plot to all this:D besides ch. 2 where it was basically mindless and ch. 1 was all angsty, there is a plot to all this!

So feedback would be awesome. I want to know what ya'll think of this sucker. I know this is going to get all dark and scary, what with WWII officially off and running in this story; but at the same time, who doesn't love good angst? (-grins-)

So review please! It'd be cool to hear what you guys think and also… any questions you have, send them my way! Even if I don't reply to them, I really do think them over! And in fact, questions help me immensely! They keep me on track!

Reviews and Questions are MORE than welcome!

Thanks for reading!

Melissa the Damgel


	4. The Hughes

Fullmetal Alchemist

By: Melissa the Damgel

I don't own anything of Fullmetal Alchemist. I just like playing with them and shoving them into situations we know we'd never see them in –and also I like seeing Ed and Winry play. …you'll know what I mean later! It's all for fun and kicks so don't sue! I'm not rich! Really!

Also take note that when the words are in italics and Ed and Winry are talking with each other it's one of their dream sequences. I know ya'll are smart enough to figure that out, but I felt I should point that out - But also, if the words are in italics in the middle of the normal font, then it's a character's thoughts.

Thanks, and enjoy!

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It Hurt So Much

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The Hughes

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Edward was speechless, he literally couldn't talk and his mouth flapped awkwardly as he tried to wrap his mind around this revelation.

"Are you all right, Ed?" Hughes asked in a whisper.

"…I think we just need some sleep." Ed mumbled, bowing his head and allowing his hair to hide his face.

Hughes frowned, but he nodded, "Yeah; you guys can sleep in the guest room. We had to convert your old apartment upstairs into bedrooms for the kids." He explained before he motioned them around the staircase and through the door to the guest room. It looked to function also as a storage area for day-to-day use. There were boxes of old junk the Hughes didn't need anymore but refused to get rid of. Old toys scattered about –obviously having been dragged out once again to be played with- and some clothes folded neatly atop an old set of chairs in a corner of the room. There were two small beds set in a corner of the room –the corner of the mattresses touching and forming a little square where an in-table was set between the corner of the wall and the corner the beds made.

"Thank you Mr. Hughes. I'm sorry we're such a burden." Al explained as he watched Ed walk over to one of the beds and flop down into it, his face calm while staring up at the ceiling above; but he knew his mind was a jumble of both theories and guilt.

Laughing weakly, Hughes shook his head, "No, you aren't any trouble at all. I'm just confused because you two don't look like you've aged at all."

"We haven't." Ed blurted out, his eyes growing hard as he stared at the ceiling.

Al frowned and looked to Hughes, "…maybe we should talk tomorrow morning…" He whispered.

Hughes sighed, his confusion and frustration clearly written on his face. "All right, but you have to explain everything. You two haven't aged at all. I hope you aren't these 'aliens' Sheska talks about all the time. I'll see you two in the morning." He told them before he exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Al hesitated by the door, his multi colored eyes seemed to turn a sad blush gray before he turned to look at his brother. Edward had turned his back to the door and was gazing at the wall, his left arm was curled about his head like a pillow and his right arm rested along his side.

"Brother?" He asked cautiously.

"Just go to sleep Al."

"But…"

"But what? The Gate transported us to another time but in the same world. We have to find the toll fee, and we know nothing about what has happened in the last seventeen years. We'll deal with it tomorrow. I'm tired."

"But Brother…"

"Just go to sleep." Ed sighed; the weariness in his shoulders seemed to drag him further into the mattress.

Al frowned, watching his brother with sad eyes. He finally crossed the room and took a seat on the unoccupied bed with his elbows on his knees and his eyes turned to the floor. "What do you think has happened to make those flags go up?"

Grunting in annoyance, Ed sat up in bed then stood, beginning to take his clothes off so he could sleep for the night. "I don't know. But I don't like it. If that Nazi whatever group has taken over, it can't be good." He explained, tossing his coat over a chair before he toed at his shoes and half kicked, half nudged his shoes off by the chair.

"At least the Thule Society doesn't seem to be in power. But they did support them…" Ed trailed off, his frown growing deeper.

Al stood and pulled his coat and shirt off as well, laying them neatly at the end of his bed. "I feel like something bad is going to happen."

Looking to his younger brother, Ed raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

Turning his eyes as they seemed to flicker with a fiery golden hue, Al stared directly into his brother's eyes, "I feel like something bad will happen –almost like how I felt when we did the transmutation of mom. But it feels worse. Like this time we won't recover."

Ed snorted and tossed his pants, vest, and shirt over his coat on the chair, "Whatever. We've survived things no human in this world could ever hope to dream up. We'll survive whatever they throw at us. Don't over react."

"I'm no…"

"Just go to sleep Al." Ed sighed heavily as he pulled back the covers of his bed and crawled into the comforting, cool embrace of the sheets.

Alphonse sighed heavily as well, "I'm not over reacting." He grunted out as he crawled into bed as well and stared up at the ceiling. He didn't know what to think or feel. He hadn't had time to form bonds the first time. It was weird seeing Hughes married like that –even though it was so natural to see because the two looked exactly like the Hughes and Gracias of his world.

He turned on his pillow, looking to the side to where his brother was sleeping and frowned. Ed's left arm was thrown over his eyes as he slept –his right hand scratching at his belly as was his sleeping habit. Then the light snoring began.

"Brother…" Al sighed and crawled out of bed to cover his brother back up, "You'll catch cold." He scolded the sleeping Ed.

Al got back in bed and stared at the ceiling, frowning once again. "I don't think the Gate would make it this simple." He whispered. "Why would the Gate only take one item for the both of us to go through?" He asked no one in particular as his brows knitted together.

But sleep did eventually come and soon Alphonse was snoring just as softly as his brother.

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_Winry tilted her head back against his bare chest comfortably while her eyes scanned the quiet flow of the river drifting along the gravel and rocky dip in the ground it had created after hundreds of years of etching a path for itself within the soft, green landscape of the countryside. _

_But she closed her eyes to the view as Ed's fingers trailed up over her arm and then back down in a soothing motion that was more for his benefit than her own. A soft smile inched over her face as her cheeks warmed faintly with a pleasant coloring. _

"_That feels nice."_

"_Huh?" Ed asked and looked back down at her, tilting his head and arching his back as he tried to look at her face -though her thighs distracted him, being exposed to his eyes in all their naked glory only to hide farther up by his shirt that she was wearing to remain mildly modest. _

_Seeing her in his shirt only made her all the more sexy. _

_His mind snapped back to the task at hand and he looked at her face, now fully in-tune to listen to her. _

_Winry's smile grew all the larger and she giggled, "What you're doing with your hand; it's nice." She whispered and shifted against his chest –turning her body around in-between his legs so she could face him. She settled her hands upon his bare chest and smiled adoringly up at him._

_Ed's face colored and he looked away shyly, "… Well I wasn't doing it on purpose…" He muttered._

_A giggle escaped her lips as she pushed against Ed's shoulders and forced him to his back in the grass._

"_Winry!" He protested loudly, a hand waving uselessly at his side._

_Another giggle and a larger grin crawled up her face, "Edward, you aren't twelve anymore."_

_He blushed and looked away, but a second later his golden eyes darted back to her shining face and his cheeks filled with more color if it was possible, "Well…"_

"_Well..? What? You see me naked and suddenly you revert to a twelve year old again?"_

"…_maybe…." He mumbled and decided staring at a blade of grass was more interesting. _

_Winry smiled warmly and shifted closer as she began to lean down. Her eyes focused intently upon his face, watching his eyes and the way his lower lip moved just faintly before she kissed his cheek._

_Ed didn't move, but his ears began to color deeply. _

"_You're like a rag doll. I can do whatever I want with you." _

"_I'm not a doll." He grumbled._

_Smirking, Winry pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and moved her legs from between his to either side of his hips. She settled against him –making sure to wiggle against him and get comfortable in his lap._

_Ed grunted and his hands darted to her hips immediately to lift her up. But he stopped himself just as suddenly. Sheepishly, Ed turned his head and lifted his eyes to stare up at her through a few wild strands of hair. The tension in his muscles clawed at his neck and pinched at his back. But the longer he stared into those blue eyes, noticed the curve of her neck as she tilted her head and smiled down at him with nothing short of adoration while her hair slipped over her shoulder and just faintly brushed his chest; he melted. Edward felt himself melt under her smile and the teasing touch of her bare thighs against his waist. He relaxed underneath her finally with a soft sigh and a little smile upon his lips. _

"_We just did it." He stated bluntly; his right hand gripped her hip tightly as his left trailed down her thigh then back up, daring to slide his fingers under the tails of his shirt that she was wearing. _

_She smiled –though a hint of sadness lingered there, "It's just a dream Ed. What's stopping us from enjoying this? Us?"_

"_Nothing." Ed stated then chuckled, "I just never thought you'd be this insatiable." _

_Winry rolled her eyes, "Ed, I was waiting for you since we were ten, probably younger than that just because we used to play house with Al as our kid…"_

"_Hey! You were the one who _made_ me play that! I never…"_

"_Shut up, Ed." Winry order with a slap to his chest, "My point is, I think I've waited long enough. Even if you're only a dream, I'm damn well going to enjoy this."_

_Ed frowned, pouting just faintly before he peeked at Winry, his left hand trailing along her belly and it dipped down to tease the area where her leg connected to her hips. "…yeah, you got a point."_

_She smiled faintly and then shivered in delight from the lingering touch his fingertips issued against her skin. She leaned over him slowly. Winry carefully laid her forearms atop his chest and she smiled sweetly down at him –looking like a lounging cat atop his body. "I like being right."_

_He rolled his eyes this time; quickly looking away from her smirking face –though he loved to stare at her, even if she was angry. Scratch that, especially when she was angry. He loved pushing her buttons just right, simply so he could see her face knit together and snarl at him. He loved that look. Of course he hated it afterwards when he woke up from a near coma after getting a wrench to the head. "The only reason you're right is because I agree with you."_

_With a glare and poke to his chest, Winry pushed herself up onto her hands once more._

_Ed groaned and grabbed for her wrists due to the fact the heels of her palms were digging into his chest. "Damnit, Winry! That hurts!" He shouted._

_Giggling, Winry allowed him to take her wrists and she lowered her body towards him once more. She thoroughly enjoyed the way his eyes looked down immediately to the gap in the front of the shirt where his eyes were allowed to witness the plump feast of breasts under the cloth. "See something you like?"_

"_Yeah." Ed stated flatly. His cheeks once again took on that flushed coloring and his golden eyes lifted to stare into her amazing blue. "You're too tempting for your own good."_

"_That's nice to hear. What happens if you give into the temptation?" Winry purred, her voice pitching lower with a sultry caress to her words. _

_Ed squirmed under her, his hips pushing up into hers where she was notified that she had been seated atop a slowly growing erection, "Take a wild guess, genius."_

_She giggled at that and leaned down, trying to kiss his lips; but she was pushed away, held back by his arms locking and his hands against her shoulders. _

"_Ed?" _

"_I have to wake up soon. I can feel it."_

_Winry frowned and she lowered her eyes, "I don't want this dream to end."_

_His eyes fell away from hers –not wanting to see the tears threatening to gather there. "I know. I don't want it to end either. I don't think I've ever wished so hard for someone to smash my head in and put me in a coma so much before. At least in a coma I could stay here with you…"_

"_Don't say stuff like that. I don't want you to get hurt."_

"_Funny, I always thought you enjoyed putting me in pain." He teased, easing his arms down and running his fingers along her arms and sides._

_Winry shot him a glare, "Idiot."_

_Ed grinned silly at her as his hand slipped behind her neck and tugged her down to him so he could kiss her deeply. "Whatever." He whispered against her lips. _

_A sigh was all she managed out, her forehead resting against his. "Promise me you'll be here when I dream again?"_

"_Hey; you should know I will be."_

_Winry shook her head, an amused look on her face, "When did you get so sappy? Is it just because you're in my dreams?"_

_He scowled as best he could at her, "Of course not! And I'm not sappy! I just figure if this is a dream, why should I be proud and try to hide… stuff…"_

_Kissing his cheek, Winry sighed while her fingers lifted to his other cheek to trail over his skin, "Yeah…" She whispered. That was all they needed right now –just a moment together. _

_Ed ran his left hand up her thigh slowly, his nose nudging against hers gently. "Hey… Winry?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_You know I… ….you know…" He whispered._

_Winry rolled her eyes and lifted her face from his slightly, "Come on, Ed. You've said it before."_

_He glared at her and looked to the side. "Yeah well… it's different when… we're doing stuff…"_

_She laughed suddenly, "Can't you say sex?"_

_Ed's face blossomed into a scarlet blush. "…yeah…"_

_Another laugh escaped her throat, "You're still embarrassed that we have sex!" She teased._

"_Am not!" He shouted, but his ears and neck were beginning to flush brightly. _

"_Then say it!" She giggled, poking him in the chest as she sat up on his hips again, gazing down at him in wicked humor._

"_What's the point of this? It's stupid!" Ed squirmed against her._

_Winry shook her head quickly, her eyes sparkling in delight. "Nu-huh! You have to say it or I won't let you up!"_

_He glared at her but kept his mouth firmly shut. His lips even formed a thin line as his stubbornness reared its ugly head. _

_She pouted, "Come on Ed! Please? I like hearing stuff like that!" _

_He narrowed his eyes a bit more dangerously, "Pervert."_

_Rolling her eyes, Winry wriggled her rear against his lap and smiled sweetly in delight as he gasped, "I'm not the one suppressing their sexual desires."_

"_I'm not repressed!" _

"_Are too."_

"_Am not!" _

"_Are too!" _

_Ed growled and grabbed her wrists and flipped her over his head –rolling with her momentum and landing atop her. He held her wrists to the ground as he bent over her, forcing his lips onto hers and his tongue into her mouth. _

_She didn't mind at all. In fact, Winry arching her neck and leaned into the kiss to return every inch of passion this volatile man gave her. Her legs tightened around his waist, holding him close because her arms were pinned, and she smiled into the kiss as he paused and took a moment to nibble her lower lip. _

"_See?" Ed panted, glaring down at her._

_Winry purred and relaxed back into the grass, "That was nice." She whispered. Her eyes were half hooded and her cheek resting atop her shoulder with her golden hair splayed around her. _

_Ed tilted his head and stared at her then smiled softly; that nervous feeling he had clawing at his insides before was gone. Somewhere between him switching positions and the delighted look in her eyes after the kiss, it had been forced away. "…I love you." He whispered, leaning down to touch his forehead to hers. _

"_I know."_

_He really wanted to yell at her; ask her why she insisted on hearing it when she already knew how he felt._

"_I love you too, Edward."_

_Awe, that's the reason, he realized. It felt so good to hear it. She was right. _

_Not that he would let her know she was right. She would just rub it in his face._

_He jerked slightly and he felt hazy. Ed dropped his eyes to Winry and he saw that sad look in them once more. "What?" He asked cautiously, though he thought he knew why._

_She managed to pry her hand away from his and she lifted a hand, touching his cheek even as it faded to a thin transparency. "Promise I'll see you tomorrow night?"_

"_Yeah… I'll try to get to bed early. But there's a lot of research…"_

_Her eyes lost their sparkle, even as she looked away to try and hide that sadness. "Yeah… research." She whispered. She had always lost out when it came to Edward, to his research. Even as children, if he and Al were researching something, she was put on hold._

_Ed frowned and he looked away, his cheeks turning pink even as he flickered again, "…It's not like there are a lot of books here that will help us. There's probably not even a book that talks about time travel. And if there is, it's fictional. I'll probably go to bed early out of frustration." He explained, trailing off as though trying to make sure Winry caught the hint. _

_She looked back to him, that sparkle returning to her eyes and she smiled. "Then I'll be here waiting."_

_He looked away a bit more, but as he saw his hand disappear completely from around her remaining, trapped wrist, he looked back to her and leaned down, brushing a faint kiss over her lips, "Yeah, well… don't get all disappointed…"_

"_Ed, this is a dream, I know you'll be here waiting. After all; it's my dream, right?"_

_Ed frowned slightly but nodded. Though it still bugged him when he heard his dream Winry say things like that. It made it sound as though she thought this was her dream, not his. In fact, why was he promising a figment of his imagination that he would get to bed early? It was ridiculous. "Yeah…" He muttered._

_She smiled one last time._

The next thing Edward knew, he was lying in bed and Al was shaking his shoulder.

"What?" Ed snapped and rubbed at his face as he yawned, sitting up in bed, slapping his brother's hand away.

Al frowned, "You were talking in your sleep."

Ed blinked and shot his eyes to Al, "…I was?" He asked as he smiled nervously.

His brother nodded, "You… you said Winry's name." Al explained shyly.

He looked away quickly and tried to hide a blush. He decided silence was a good option. The two were perfectly still; one not wanting to acknowledge anything, and the other not wanting to dig the knife in deeper for his brother. But eventually the awkwardness had to brake, and Al was the one to sigh loudly.

"Well, Hughes is up. Gracias has breakfast started and their kids are up. Hughes said we could stay with them if we wanted; but if we want to talk with him, we need to do it now, or wait till later tonight when he gets back from work." Al explained, barely breathing on that rushed explanation.

"Okay. Let's try to talk to him now…"

Al nodded, "Hurry up. He has to leave in an hour."

Ed nodded and sat there. Then peeked at his brother and waited. But Al just stood there; he was waiting for Ed to stand up so they could head down together. See, Edward had a little problem south of the border; and he really didn't want his brother to see the mess he was in.

Grinning awkwardly, Ed shifted, "Uh… Al? Think you could wait… in the hall?"

Al's face twisted up in confusion, "Brother? Are you all right?"

"Uh… yeah… you know, just want to get dressed…"

His mind was still twisted in confusion, Al nodded slightly and wanders back out into the hall, his brain reeling with reasons as to why his brother didn't want him in the bedroom. He'd seen Ed in his boxers thousands of time; hell, even Winry had seen him in his underwear and he hadn't once flinched. It was weird for him to be so… modest.

But then it clicked; his returned memories reminding him he was technically a seventeen year old –at least in his mind- and Al nearly collapsed in embarrassment as he pieced the puzzle together. Between Ed's new found modesty in the mornings, the quiet sounds he made at night, and Ed whispering Winry's name just now; Alphonse Elric's face turned scarlet and he tried not to gag as he realized his brother was probably jerking off right now.

Ed crawled out of bed and rushed to the bathroom.

This was so not fair! He was going to give his dream-Winry a piece of his mind later that night.

----------

"Daddy, here's your food!" Ten year old Leo declared loudly as he slapped the meal of waffles, syrup, eggs, and bacon onto the table before his father.

Hughes grinned silly as he wiped away the syrup now on his pajamas, "Thank you Leo, Now go sit down and eat."

The boy smiled and flopped over in his seat.

Ed smiled weakly and shook his head, "How weird is that." He whispered to himself before he dug into his meal. Elysia smiled shyly as she peeked over at Al. She was thirteen, the second eldest girl.

Al smiled awkwardly before he looked at Ed with a silent look asking him what he should do.

With a shrug and a slight wave of his hand, he casually dismissed his brother.

"Sheska, please put your book away." Gracia scolded as she set the meal down before her eleven year old.

"But Mama!" The girl whined, pulling her nose out of her book as her eyes widened behind her glasses, "This is the best part!"

"Read it after breakfast. And don't read it during school. I don't want to get another letter from your teacher saying you weren't paying attention in class." The women told her daughter with a sigh.

"Mama!" The girl whined, "I've already read all the school books and I remember them! I really do!"

Ed smirked and drank his orange juice –this was just too weird.

Clauz sighed loudly as she walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table only to glare at the grain of the wood. "I don't understand why I have to wear dresses _all _the time!" She was fifteen, the eldest daughter of the family.

"It's the rules for school, sweetie, besides, you look so adorable in dresses! The blue just brings out your eyes!" Hughes gushed, reaching over to pinch her cheek.

She scowled at him and pushed his hand away, but she was blushing faintly in delight of the compliment. Not that getting gushing compliments from her father wasn't uncommon.

"Is your brother up?" Gracia asked as she handed a plate of food to Clauz.

"No, he's still primping. I swear, _he _should have been the girl, not me!"

"Oh, honey." Gracias sighed loudly.

A sleepy five year old –the youngest of the Hughes children, rubbed at his eyes again, his glasses being pushed up onto his forehead from his actions. "Daddy, I'm still sleepy."

Hughes grinned and held out his free hand –the other finished cutting some waffles and shoved them in his mouth, "Come here, Kain, you can sit with me. That way your older brother can have a place to sit."

The little boy smiled sleepily and crawled off his chair and wandered over to his daddy where he was lifted up and rested against his chest even as Hughes continued to eat breakfast.

Gracias sighed loudly and marched out of the kitchen to stand by the stairs, "Roy! Get down here! Breakfast is ready!"

Ed gagged on his food and nearly died from the shock. "You named your kid Roy?" He shouted.

Hughes looked to Ed oddly, "Well, yeah. We named him after my best friend from my childhood. His father was a professor and he traveled around the world to speak at lectures. I met him when his father got a teaching contract at Munich for a several years. Boy, we got into so much trouble during those years." Hughes grinned silly. "Course, his real name was Kijima Ryoichi, but that's just a long and weird name, so I called him Roy. He was Japanese. My parents didn't like me hanging out with him; but I did anyways. I haven't seen him for a couple years now. Their country is going through some large changes too. I guess he's really involved in the military there." Hughes babbled, grinning at Ed as his confusion was replaced by fond memories.

Ed smiled weakly then looked at his food. _Damn Colonel even exists here. Guess I should be grateful he's in another country though. _

Roy finally made it downstairs, his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face, "Mornin' Ma." The seventeen year old told his mother as he kissed her cheek and thusly defusing her anger at him for taking so long.

Ed raised a brow as he looked up at the dark haired young man that looked to be seventeen, before Ed then smirked as he looked over at Hughes, "Seems a bit old for you two being married seventeen years."

Hughes returned a silly grin, "Honeymoon baby." He explained simply, though he seemed far too nervous.

"Uh-huh, right." Ed drawled.

"Brother, don't be rude." Al hissed.

Elysia smiled at Al shyly once more, leaning a bit closer, "So… you travel with your brother?"

Al smiled slightly, "Uh, yeah. Ed and I like to go all over the place, learning new things, reading new books…"

"Oh! Books?" Sheska asked, putting her book down with a manic gleam in her eyes.

"Yeah. We read books from other country's libraries."

Ed sighed and looked to Hughes, staring at him evenly.

The man glanced over to Ed. His face fell slightly as realization hit, then he offered a grin and carefully stood up, setting Kain in his seat. He carried his dishes to the sink and looked back to Ed and Al.

Al was still trying to talk to Elysia without feeling awkward. He hadn't really thought about girls in the last few years –but he himself was about to physically turn fourteen and the idea of girls was quickly becoming a continuous presence in his mind.

"Well, Edward, if you and Al want to speak with me before I head to work, now is the time." He grinned and waved his hand, motioning they head out of the kitchen.

With a grin, Ed inhaled the last of his meal and drained his cup before he jumped to his feet and headed out the door.

"Brother!" Al shouted after him, frowning deeply. He sighed loudly and stood, gathering up his brother's abandoned utensils and plate and carried them to the sink for Gracias. "Thank you Mrs. Hughes, the meal was wonderful." He smiled, bowing his head ever so faintly.

The woman smiled and waved her hand, "Go on now. You two don't have much time."

Al hurried out of the room; shyly waving at Elysia who ended up blushing.

Leo giggled and teased his sister about her liking a boy, Sheska was clueless due to the fact she was reading her book again. Little Kain yawned again and wanted some juice and trying to interrupt Clauz who was grumbling about her classes and homework to her mother. Roy simply smiled charmingly to his family even as he wondered what his father could possibly have to talk about with two young boys his age outside of the room and away from his family.

----------

Hughes closed the door behind him as he wandered around Ed and Al to lean against his desk. "All right, Ed. You didn't explain much last night. Where have you two been for the last seventeen years?"

Frowning, Ed turned his eyes away, "I… I opened the gate again; in the warehouse." He told him in a rush.

The man's face fell immediately and his arms dropped from where they had previously been folded across his chest. "What? But how? I thought you destroyed it."

"I did… We did… but I figured out how to open it. I was trying to only open a one-way door and… we did; but…" Ed stopped and shook his head as he sighed deeply. "We can't go through –not without a sacrifice."

Hughes narrowed his eyes at them, then realization dawned on him and he blinked in surprise, "You mean…"

Al nodded, lowering his head in shame. "One of us would have to die."

Rubbing his brow and his temple, Hughes nodded, "So you opened the gate again, how does that suddenly make you two the same age only seventeen years later?"

"Time travel." Ed explained simply, "The gate sent us forward in time instead of back to the same time. We figured it out last night."

Hughes looked to Ed incredulously, "Are you serious?"

The brothers nodded simply. Ed lifted his hand and rubbed his brow then the ridge of his nose before he sighed heavily, "You've got to tell us what happened over the years, Hughes. What's with the flags? What happened to make the Nazi party so large?"

"It's not just large now, it's ruling the country." Hughes explained, frowning as he folded his arms over his chest again. "It's not the same party as it was before. It likes to hide behind that false pretense, but it's changed. I believe the country needed a new government to take over; but the Fuehrer has taken this too far. He proclaimed war across all of Europe last year.

"And his intolerance of undesirables has caused good people like Noa, and a Jewish man, Jacob Madzhar, to be sent to concentration camps. He was a good man. I heard he died trying to escape and get back to his family in Holland." Hughes frowned and shook his head. "I know when you boys last saw me I was against these 'undesirables' too. Ed, you know I tried to jail Noa for any little excuse I could find. But my views have changed. Or I should say Gracias made me see the light." He grinned sheepishly, but it fell once more. "Jacob was a good man. He was hoping to get back to his wife and daughter." He shook his head, sympathizing with the dead man.

Ed listened quietly, having shoved his hands back into his pockets. "It's always the good men who die first." He whispered.

Hughes nodded in agreement.

"What else should we know?"

"It's dangerous out there. Well, Munich and Berlin are probably the safest cities you could be. With you both so fair looking, you won't be stopped and questioned. But you might be recruited into the army." Hughes looked to his watch and cursed faintly under his breath. He winced then shot a look at Ed and Al, "Don't tell Gracias I said that." He told them as he pushed away from his desk. "I need to get to work. I'll explain later tonight. I still have some old newspapers from the last few years. I'll dig those out for you. But you two stay out of sight. I'm only the Captain of the police force. There's only so much I can do if you two get arrested –or worse, drafted."

Hughes smirked and clapped a hand onto Edward's shoulder. "You two rest for the day. Gracias will tell you about the last year if you want to know how the family has been. It's been hard on Kain and Roy –they have such dark hair and eyes; they get teased and picked on at school if not questioned outright on the streets by soldiers."

A frown deepened on Ed's face, "So he really believes all that… one race… crap that the Thule society was trying to prove by opening the Gate the first time?"

Nodding sadly, Hughes looked into Ed's golden eyes and he nodded, "Yeah, they do believe it. They believe it so much there's even a program where they take volunteer men and women who match their 'genetic preference', and are… breeding them… for lack of a better word."

"That's horrible!" Al gasped as his jaw dropped.

Hughes wrinkled his nose, "I know. But it's their choice. Well, I'll see you boys later." He waved to the two and headed out of his office and rushed to his room to dress and was soon out the door with his wife fussing over him being tardy even as she shoved a large paper sack into his arms for lunch and snacks; explaining their was also several slices of pie in there.

"Brother?" Al whispered.

"We're in deep shit, Al. Not only are we screwed, but we're screwed seventeen years in the future with no knowledge of what has led up to the war."

Al frowned. "Maybe we can find those newspapers Mr. Hughes was talking about."

He considered his brother's words before he shook his head, his face drawn up grimly. "I think we need to get to the library. At least they keep more than just a few news papers from the last couple years on hand. They'll have an archive we can search through and skim through."

"But Hughes said…"

"I know what Hughes said." Ed snapped, glaring at Al weakly. "But we can't even afford one day, Al. The sooner we find this sacrifice the Gate sent us here to get for it, the sooner we can get home."

Al frowned, looking down at the ground. "Ed…"

He stiffened and looked to his brother. When Al called him 'Ed' he was deeply serious.

"I was thinking last night… what if the Gate's sacrifice is a life? I mean… are we really going to just hand a person over to the Gate?"

Edward opened his mouth then snapped it shut, suddenly seeing and knowing exactly what Al was saying. And his heart sank. "Damnit." He hissed and turned away. "So even if we did find him or her, we'd be nothing better than murderers –we'd be nothing better than our father." He growled while his hands curled into tight fists and nearly slammed into the closest solid object.

Al sighed loudly, "I'm sorry brother, I didn't mean too…."

"No, this is good that you mentioned that. I was just… I had just assumed the Gate had meant an object; not a person." He whispered and closed his eyes. "Damnit." He whispered and rubbed his eyes.

"Maybe it _can_ be an object. We just have to find the right one."

"Yeah, but what object has enough energy in it that could replace what a human life is worth?" Ed scowled, his mind already twisting over itself as it tried to figure out this puzzle.

Al frowned and shook his head. "I don't know."

Ed sighed and rubbed his temple –then his thoughts collided into a theory. "The bomb. Huskisson's bomb."

Al's eyes widened. "Of course." he hissed in realization. "It was created by men giving their lives for it…"

Looking to Al, Ed straightened up and clenched his fingers into a fist. "The Gate said it'd send us here so we could find him easier, right? We need to start looking tomorrow."

Nodding in agreement, Al pushed his shoulders back in determination, "Right."

---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

The Hughes children in order from oldest to youngest:

Roy (17), Clauz (15), Elysia (13), Sheska (11), Leo (10), and Kain (5).

They're so cute!!! XD teehee. And I had to put Master Sergent Kain Furry as one of his kids. The dude is just too sweet to be a military guy in this story, so I made him one of his kids so he'd still be around, but not in any danger of killing people and being recruited by Germany as a soldier. Roy on the other hand…. Heh…

and no, there isn't a specific person I chose for their son Roy to look like or represent. I guess I just figured if Hughes hadn't died in FMA, him and Gracias would have had another kid soon and Hughes deserves a boy ;) so here's the unknown child he would have had if he hadn't died so young in FMA. But Roy has a big role to play; and it seems to get bigger as the days go by.

But yeah, I sorta grabbed and picked all the kids in the anime/manga that I thought deserved a full, happy family. And Sheska and Hughes were just so funny and adorable; I had to make her his kid.

Of course Elysia would be there; and the reason I didn't make her the eldest is because I felt, one –this IS a different world… different things happen here.

I hope ya'll don't think I'm crazy - but next chapter will be good! Promise! It's actually already written out I just have to make changes to it and fix it up and it'll be ready.

Melissa the Damgel

p.s. I finally found the correct spelling of Huskisson's name - woot! Only three chapters late. Heh.


	5. The Other Side

Fullmetal Alchemist

By: Melissa the Damgel

I don't own anything of Fullmetal Alchemist. I just like playing with them and shoving them into situations we know we'd never see them in –and also I like seeing Ed and Winry play. …you'll know what I mean later! It's all for fun and kicks so don't sue! I'm not rich! Really!

--------

It Hurt So Much

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The Other Side

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"_Mmm, you know just what I need." Winry purred, arching her back just faintly before her head fell back onto the pillow. It was a change for them to be indoors. Whenever she dreamed of him, they always were outside by the river; but to be inside, and in her bed was new and exciting. _

_Ed grunted and then shifted, planting his hands by her head as he pushed himself away from her naked body for a moment then raised a brow at the back of her head, "You know, when I suggested a massage, I meant me."_

_A giggle escaped her throat before she rolled under him so she could face him directly. Languidly, she reached up to him and wrapped her arms about his neck to pull him back down atop her –her legs immediately parting to wrap about his bare waist. "Edward, if I gave you the massage then what sort of dream would this be?" She giggled at his perplexed look and leaned up, kissing him gently upon his lips before smiling warmly at him._

_With a heavy sigh and another grunt as he settled himself against her; holding himself up by his elbows so he wasn't completely smashing her, he eyed her skeptically with a twitch in his cheek, "It'd be one relaxing dream is what it'd be."_

"_No, it'd be boring because you'd be asleep and I'd not get to play with you."_

_Ed's cheeks flushed and his eyes darted away from hers quickly. "So I'm just one of your toys?"_

"_Yes." Winry chirped out happily, beaming up at him. _

_He turned narrowed eyes upon the woman and he nearly snarled at her, "Like hell; I won't be anyone's toy-"_

"_Of course you're not anyone else's. You're mine and I'm yours, and only we get to play with each other." She purred, leaning up to him to kiss his jaw and his neck before she began to nibble upon his ear. _

_Ed inhaled and grunted then bowed his head, exposing his neck to her lips so she could play with him. His fingers inched closer to her body and he ran his fingertips across the sides of her breasts before he moved down to her ribs._

_Winry squealed and jerked away from him, wriggling a bit as his fingers tickled her._

_He jerked back as well and blinked in surprise before a malicious grin overtook his face and he snickered, digging his fingers into her sides, "Hah!" He shouted in triumph. _

_Wriggling and trying to roll away from him, Winry laughed all the harder the longer he tickled her. She batted weakly at his arms, trying to grab at his fingers to still them and keep them from continuing their torture –but nothing worked. _

"_E- E- Ed!" She squealed and arched her back then fell back onto the mattress and tried to roll into a ball._

_He hooted in delight, his fingers skimming over her naked body –both enjoying the fact he had her at his mercy for once, and also taking delight in touching her freely. He would never get tired of touching her –even if it _was_ only to tease her._

_Winry squealed loudly and arched her back violently, bucking her hips against him to try and dislodge him. _

_He grunted and shifted against her, one hand pushing her hips back onto the mattress then wiggling against her belly. _

_With another shout of laughter, Winry opened her eyes enough to look at him then her hand darted out and tugged on his hair harshly. _

_Ed cried out and his head was jerked to the side. With a sudden loss of his equilibrium, he fell over and was rolled to his back. Opening his eyes again, Ed stared up at Winry, his hands pinned to either side of his head. A blush rushed up into his cheeks from the unexpectedness of it all –after all, he was being pinned by a very seductive blonde. _

"_Winry!" He shouted, struggling against her._

_Winry grunted and leaned onto her hands to keep his where they were. _

_Glaring up at her, Ed gave up the struggle rather easily –he might have been annoyed but he didn't mind too much. The blush grew but his golden eyes locked onto her blue ones. "Would you get off me?"_

"_Get you off? I think I can manage that." She giggled as his eyes widened his jaw went slack and his neck and ears began to blush as well. _

"_Winry!" he shouted in shock._

_She rolled her eyes as his indignation, "Come off it Ed, how long have we been having sex? Almost six months now? I thought you would have gotten used to it by now." She teased, leaning over him to kiss his lips even as she rolled her hips playfully against his. _

_Ed didn't fight the kiss and he returned it just as eagerly as she issued it. But he turned his head away and glared at her, "Would you get off me already?"_

_Sighing loudly, Winry shook her head, "No, because you're always in control. I want to have my fun too." _

_Too frightened to know what she meant, Edward just stared for a moment, watching her face brighten in delight and yet her eyes darken in a lustful gleam. It sent a jolt down his spine and brought his more prominent proof that he was indeed a man to life. _

_Catching the look in his eyes and the new and wonderful pressure between their hips, Winry gently moved her hips against him slowly, drawing out a gasp and a grunt from the man beneath her. A smile crawled up her face as she watched him watching her. Ed moved slightly under her, rubbing his growing member against her moist lips and her eyes closed for a moment, enjoying the jolt of pleasure that ran up her spine and made her shiver. _

"_Winry…"_

"_Shh…" _

"_Give me my hands." He ordered in a raspy voice. _

"_No." She whispered back. _

_He grunted in annoyance and pleasure, his hips once again moving under her with his own small push. _

_Winry inhaled sharply and shivered. Her eyes closed and her head leaned backwards as the smooth glide of his member ran up between her legs and nudged at the bundle of nerves that caused her to squeak in delight. _

"_Give me my hands, Winry." Ed hissed, his arms struggling against her grip again. Who knew she was strong enough to at least hold him down like that?_

"_Why do you need them?" She whispered, opening her eyes to look at him once again._

_Ed nearly snarled while he tugged on his wrist, thrusting his hips up against her several times. He managed to distract her for a minute, just long enough to get his left hand free. He jerked his arm away and lifted his hand to rest it against the back of her head. He pulled her down sharply and his lips locked onto hers. He molded his lips against hers hungrily, taking a moment to just feel the softness in her lips, the way her breathe caught in her throat while his lips massaged hers; and he especially loved the way she gasped when his tongue pushed past her lips and into her mouth, rubbing over hers and exploring the moist cavern that existed past those soft lips. _

_His hand slipped away from her neck as soon as he trusted her not to pull out of the kiss, and his fingers trailed down her neck and to her breast. He fingered the soft flesh carefully, not just yet cupping her breast in his palm. He trailed his fingertips over the flesh, teasing the areola before he flicked a fingertip over her nipple. _

_Gasping as a shiver coursed up her spine, Winry broke the kiss just enough to let a soft sigh escape her, "Ed…"_

_He leaned closer to her and mouthed her neck slowly, inhaling her scent as he nibbled down her jaw, along her throat, and across her collarbone. His kisses were sweltering, demanding so much from her yet whispering such gentleness in the delicate trailing of his fingers up her spine, Winry had no choice but to release his other hand. _

_Edward sat up quickly, his lips grazing across hers as one of his hands finally slipped over her breast, teasing her nipple with the pad of his thumb. _

_Winry whimpered, placing a hand upon his cheek to keep his lips close to her face while her arm slipped over his shoulders and pulled herself closer to him. _

_The kisses he placed upon her lips began to trail away, sliding across cheek and once more down her neck, but he didn't stop there this time, he moved downwards, nuzzling and kissing at her breast slowly. _

_As he reached the peak of her breast, Winry inhaled sharply, staring down at him through lidded lashes, watching him work so carefully. They had their moments were their love making was rushed and insistent; each demanding the other and both taking what they craved. But Edward wasn't normally like that. He always worked slowly and thoroughly, taking in every inch of her as though studying her for one of his alchemic experiments. It drove her crazy sometimes; but she couldn't complain. She heard stories from her friends, how their boyfriends sometimes 'forgot' about them and rushed through the whole process. Winry couldn't gloat –how could she gloat over having a dream Edward treat her like she was precious crystal? He made certain everything he did was beneficial to both of them; after all, 'equivalent exchange' was his motto, even in the bedroom. _

_Edward placed a hand to her neck, the other against the small of her back and he shifted to his side, carefully laying her upon the bed on her back and leaned over her with a hand running down her thigh as his lips nipped the underside of her breasts before traveling downwards along her belly. He nuzzled her side before he nipped at her hip, grunting softly as her hands trailed through his hair and along his back –he wouldn't admit it aloud, but he rather enjoyed her playing with his hair. Maybe it had something to do with the fact the last time they saw each other, she had braided his hair. Her eyes had been red as she tried so hard not to cry. She had smiled so sweetly, he had not choice but to agree and he had basked in the pleasure of her fingers threading through his hair; stroking it as though it were fine silk while weaving it together. _

_Or maybe it had something to do with when they were kids. After he had had his automail treatment, she would sit with him when school let out and she'd quietly do her homework, talking with him as though he had been there for class, treating him as normally as always –even though Ed had 'let himself go' so to speak. When the day finally came she couldn't do his automail repair properly because his hair was in the way and she had thrown his hair into a harsh braid to keep it away; Ed realized in that moment that of all the people he would meet across all the world, she would always treat him normal. She would never look at him with pity for having two missing limbs replaced with metal. _

_A gasping moan curled through the air and Winry reached out, threading her fingers through his hair and shivering as she felt his lips trail down her thigh slowly, heading towards the apex of her legs. She whimpered and tugged slightly on his hair. That drew a grunt from him and one of his hands lifted, catching the offending hand pulling his hair. He pulled her hand from the top of his head, his eyes shooting a glare at her even as he lovingly bit the tip of her fingers and allowed his tongue to curl over them. He shifted, kissing her thigh again before he lifted his head to stare at her, his hand guiding hers downward slowly, "Do it. Touch yourself…" He whispered even as his free hand curled under her thigh and smoothed down, easing it's way over her hip and along her side._

_A blush so radiant it even had Ed grinning in triumph, Winry sat up, trying to pull her hand away from him while the other suddenly tried to hide her body as though modesty was important to her. _"W-what?"_ She squeaked. _

_Smirking, Ed nibbling at her leg just above her knee, causing her to shiver in delight, "I know you do it. Let me see."_

_Winry's blush deepened and she shook her head before looking away, "Ed…"_

_A frown was next to fall upon Ed's face, he stared up a her, looking very similar to a sad puppy. "Come on, please?"_

"_Then… then you do it first!" She shouted, fully meaning she wanted him to touch himself first, but of course she hadn't said it that clearly._

_Ed raised a brow faintly with a smirk spreading through his eyes. He let her wrist go and his fingers smoothed down her belly before slipping between her legs and he tickled her clit. "All right." He stated simply._

_Winry gasped unexpectedly. Her eyes went wide and her head fell backwards as she stared up at the ceiling. "Ah!" _

_A smug look curled over his face. He wiggled his fingers against her and grunted in enjoyment as he watched her writhe under him, reaching for him and her fingers dug into his shoulders. Her moans filled his ears and he shivered in delight, already getting antsy simply from holding himself at bay. That smug look darkened his eyes; filling his golden orbs with a lust that resembled that of a hungry wolf. _

_He watched her writhe and shiver, growing still as her lips parted in a silent moan before her head would loll from one shoulder to another a few times as a squeak escaped her lips. Pride filled him and made him sigh in delight, though it resembled that of a rumbling beast on the prowl. He sat up slowly, his fingers continuing their stroking against her as he moved over her once again. Ed's eyes grazed her body hungrily and he grunted before he bent over her and latched his lips atop her breast. He suckled upon the nipple, tasting her skin and enjoying the arching of her back in her attempt to get closer to him. _

"_Ed…" She whispered. The only reply she got was a faint grunt while smoothed his left hand suddenly stopped its movements and moved upwards over her thigh, gently urging her leg up higher upon his waist. "Ed… ah… please…" She whispered before she groaned, moving under him while his body pressed close –his member pressing up against her and rubbing slowly against her, drawing whimpers of enjoyment and agony from them both. It was too much; they wanted more, but Ed had made a decision –he was going to see how long she could last. _

"_ED!" She squealed and writhed, her hips bucking against him a few times while her nails dug into his shoulder and back. _

_A groan lurched from Ed's lips even as his hips shoved forward –once again stroking himself against her and torturing them both from reaching some form of true mind shattering pleasure. _

_Something rang in Winry's ears, something annoying and begging to gain her attention. "No, not yet." She nearly sobbed as she wrapped her arms about his neck tightly. _

"_Winry…"_

_She shuddered, feeling his voice against her skin in a rush of warm breath. _

_The noise was getting louder, and it felt like it was getting closer. _

"_Ed…" She whispered, her hips jerking against his. _

_He turned his head, kissing at her neck and cheek before he groaned, "Ah, need you." He hissed into her cheek as he shifted his hips and changed his position against her. _

"'_Kay." She whispered back and arched her back and moaned in delight as he slid slowly into her depths –her knees creeping up his sides and pulling him deeper into her. _

_The ringing grew louder, demanding she pay attention to it. She finally did sob as she kissed his neck, "Edward… I think…"_

"_Not yet." He hissed as his motions stopped all together and he cupped her face in his palms, his head lifting to stare down into her eyes. "Just a few more seconds." He wiped a tear away from her cheek and his eyes trembled as he tried to hold his emotions at bay._

"_It's getting harder to leave this place." She whispered with a hiccup to her voice. _

_Ed sighed and leaned forward, resting his brow upon hers, "Just hold onto me for a few more seconds…"_

"_You too." Winry whispered, inching her lips closer to his. _

_The kiss was slow and lingering. It tickled their senses and crept into their skin, caressing every nerve they possessed and whispered to them to not forget. _

"_Love you." She breathed. _

"_I know." He sighed and kissed the corner of her mouth again, taking the last few seconds of their time to inhale her scent. _

"_Ed…" Winry whimpered as she felt herself loose some of the other-worldly feeling against his skin. Her arms wrapped about his shoulders more tightly and she bit her lip, "Come back to me."_

"_I'm trying." He explained quietly, wrapping his arms about her waist and burying one hand into her hair. _

She was awake in a flash, tears sliding from the corner of her eyes as she stared up at the ceiling, the sunlight shining down upon her through the window. She hiccupped, her teeth gritting together as she lifted a hand to wipe at her eyes though it was useless, more tears replaced the ones she wiped away.

Winry rolled over in bed and hid her face, trying desperately to stop her silent crying, but it was so hard. She was alone in the morning yet again with the lingering taste of his lips upon hers.

She cried for another ten minutes before a knock on the door jolted her from her depression.

"Winry? Are you up yet? Your train leaves in two hours."

"I'm up, Grandma." Winry called as chipper as possibly.

"Good. Now hurry up. I'm starting breakfast and you'll want to look nice for your meeting with Mustang."

Winry nodded, though it was silly because Pinako couldn't see the motion. "Okay." She finally called and dragged herself out of bed. She trudged about her room, gathering up the clothes she had set out for the trip there then headed to the bathroom. After a nice, soothing shower, she dressed and pinned her hair up for the day. Winry dragged her pre-packed and heavy suitcase and toolkit down the stairs to leave in the front room. She wasn't simply going for a day or two; this was going to be a long business trip that Winry suspected would take weeks to fully complete.

She walked into the kitchen, trying to look as happy and cheerful as she knew her grandmother expected. She sat down and enjoyed a meal of pancakes and eggs with a large glass of milk. The milk ruined breakfast –she thought of him and that just brought her back to her dreams of late and she sighed heavily as she felt the depression starting to creep back in.

No, she wouldn't get depressed just yet. She had the entire train ride to Central to be depressed. She smiled at her grandmother as she finished her glass of milk then sighed. "Well, I better get going. I don't want to be late. I'll call you when I arrive in Central." She chattered as she went about the kitchen, putting dishes in the sink and helping to clean up slightly for her grandmother.

Pinako frowned as she watched her granddaughter move about the kitchen. "Winry."

"Hmm?"

"Is the meeting you are having with the Colonel-"

"Brigadier General, Grandma."

"Mustang," She decided on, "Does it have anything to do with the boys?"

The words, 'The Boys' caused a shadow to flicker over Winry's face. She smiled sadly and leaned against the counter slowly, "Yeah… But he said he also had a job offer for me down there. Apparently in the attack on Central some of the men lost arms and legs and he was wondering if I could come down to see about helping those who had asked for Edward Elric's mechanic."

Pinako frowned as she stared at Winry, seeing right through the fake smile. "You're working yourself too hard, girl. I don't want you to exhaust yourself."

"I'm okay, grandma; I just miss them is all. At least I know they are alive, right?" She smiled again but sighed afterwards and turned away, "Well, I better go." She whispered and hurried to the front room.

Pinako followed after her and watched as Winry loaded her toolkit onto her back then hefted her suitcase into her hands and started out the door. "Just take care. And call often."

"I will." She turned with a twirl to her grandmother, a genuine smile alighting her features. "I'm not like Edward. I won't say I'll write but then never do."

"Don't be so hard on him. There are things we don't know about that he had to deal with out there."

Winry looked away and nodded, "Yeah… bye." She whispered and turned, heading down the road that led to the train station.

Pinako frowned and sighed with a shake of her head. "Just wish she could get over him." She sighed then lit her pipe and stood on the porch, watching her granddaughter disappear into the distance.

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Winry followed Mustang through the lower streets of Central, a frown growing over her face as she climbed over another boulder that looked to be part of the old road before they had fixed Central's streets.

"Brigad…"

"Just call me Roy. What I'm about to show you has nothing to do with the Military, the State, or the People. It's just between you, me, Riza and a few of my men."

Winry tilted her head as a look of confusion crawled across her features. "What?"

Roy stopped suddenly and sighed, "I didn't keep my promise."

"What promise?"

Mustang turned slowly to stare at Winry, her wide eyes and slightly scared expression causing him to grimace. "To Al, before he left."

Winry stared at him, her brows knitting together.

"Come on, it'll be easier to explain if I show you."

The two once again began their trek through the underground ruins. Winry suddenly realized where they were as she passed what looked to be a bookcase and a smashed oak desk twenty feet away from it. The farther they descended, the more she recognized.

Mustang took her wrist as he helped her down a rather steep embankment. He wrapped an arm about her waist, catching her before she fell face first into the rubble.

"This way."

"We're in that place where Ed came out…"

"Yeah."

Winry's heart fluttered slightly. Though she _knew_ Ed wouldn't be here, she couldn't help but hope that by some strange twist of fate he would suddenly be standing there.

Roy led the way through the burnt and charred remains of the old city. He had obviously memorized the area for they were in the center of the city in less than five minutes.

Winry gazed about the cleared area in awe. Havoc and Breda were off to the sides, helping to move crates of rubble from the side lines; and Hawkeye was supervising as she barked orders out. Fuery was setting up surveillance equipment on platforms that they had set up around the area, and Armstrong was sketching out the array on the ground.

"What's going on?" Winry asked in a daze.

Mustang straightened up as he surveyed the area, his one remaining eye growing hard with determination. "I couldn't keep my promise. I told Al I would destroy the gate on this side. I didn't though. I closed it; but I didn't destroy it. I couldn't. I thought if Ed or Al ever wanted to come back, it'd be better to still have the gate ready partially opened on this side."

"But…" Winry stopped and stared at the area. Her hands were pressed to her chest and her stomach flipped in fear and hope. "Do you think it'll work?"

"Yes. But we're monitoring the array closely. Just in the last two months, it's already changed. The actual shape and equations have changed. I have never seen anything like it. We're hoping that if we keep tabs on it, it'll reveal what it is changing too."

Winry nodded and looked back to the array, her stomach flipped once more and she inhaled sharply. "How long do you think it'll take?"

"Considering how slow it's changing and the possible equations it could change too? I speculated a year and a half to two years."

"Two years before it might be able to be opened again?"

"Yes." Mustang told her simply.

She looked back to the array and the people hard at work. She _might_ see Ed and Al again. There was a possibility that she could see them again. It was small, but it was possible.

"Roy," She told him, straightening up and letting her hands drop to her sides with her shoulder's held back. "I want to stay. I want to help."

Glancing towards her from the corner of his eye, Roy sized her up, studying her and her watching her face. "Are you sure? That is a long time to be away from your home."

"Grandma can always visit me. I want to be here."

"We could always contact you if there are changes."

"But it might be too late if I have to travel in." Winry inhaled slowly and nodded, having made up her mind. "I'll set up shop here and I'll do whatever automail work you want me to do for the Military so long as you let me know about your work here."

A raised brow and then a smirk crawled over Mustang's face. A glimmer of delight and respect filled his eye as he turned his body to face her. "Well then, I can't deny a pretty face like yours the right to find her boyfriend."

A blush blossomed over her cheeks, "But… no, we aren't…"

He chuckled, a wicked delight shining upon his face. Yes, this would be fun; if he couldn't tease the Fullmetal kid, he could at least tease her girlfriend. "I'll do better than keep you informed, Winry. I'll contact you and bring you straight here whenever there are any changes. Who knows, you might end up having to fix Ed one day. It'd certainly be easier to have you here." He smirked and held his hand out.

Winry hesitated before she smiled back just as smugly, "If I have to fix his automail, you might as well have a casket ready." She then shoved her hand into his and shook it firmly.

Now, if only two years would hurry up.

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sorry I haven't posted in… .. um… two months o.0 wow.. that's a long time. The reason I've been so lazy is because well, I wasn't sure about the lemon in this one. Granted it's better than the first one; but it was different too, a different mood. But I hope ya'll like the actual plot that went along with this one. I decided to jump ahead and let you understand that Mustang didn't do good on his promise.

And I hope none of you are upset with me moving Winry to Central and basically going to become a dog of the military –only with metal.. … wow, that does sound a lot like Ed… anyway…

But yes, their dreams aren't just a one sided dream for one of them now and then; it's both of them dreaming together, linking them. I've always liked the idea that Al was able to link with Alfonse Heidrick and get vague ideas of what was going on; so why not with Ed and Winry? They both still think it's just a very vivid, nice dream they have almost every night.

I'm babbling. I hope ya'll enjoyed this one. Hopefully the next update won't take as long o.0

And reviews would be awesome, I like hearing stuff from you peoples -

Melissa the Damgel

(p.s. oh yeah, and i didn't correct this chapter at all. so if there are mistakes or spelling errors or really weirdly worded sentences, that's why. i was lazy and didn't correct it. sorry. heh)


	6. My Blue Eyed Lover

Fullmetal Alchemist

By: Melissa the Damgel

I don't own anything of Fullmetal Alchemist. I just like playing with them and shoving them into situations we know we'd never see them in –and also I like seeing Ed and Winry play. …you'll know what I mean later! It's all for fun and kicks so don't sue! I'm not rich! Really!

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It Hurt So Much

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My Blue Eyed Lover

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Al stared wide eyed up into the gray, dismal sky as though it were the most brilliant sight he had ever beheld. A plane flew overhead in a rattling, tumbling ruckus that left few wondering what had just past above their heads. Al's eyes shone and his face alight with amazement and awe that such a machine existed. It was completely different from the flying machines that Eckhart had used. Her machines had used heat, helium and simple propellers to push the floating balloon and cab forward through the sky. But this! A plane that used an engine and was self propelled and could maneuver through the air with both speed and more grace than a bulky machine seemed capable of, it was nothing short of amazing to the young boy.

Watching his bother's amazement never got tiring. This had to have been the hundredth or even the thousandth plane Al had seen since they left Munich; but it put his heart at ease to see his brother enjoying himself like a real child rather than the responsible mini-adult Al truly was. Ed smirked suddenly and reached over, ruffling his brother's hair with a rough hand and a bark of amusement as soon as Al shouted and waved his hands and shoving his away. Ed chuckled and gave a little shove to the back of Al's head and caused his brother to take a few quick steps forward. "It's just a plane." He teased as he waved his hand, glancing across the street before he looked back to his younger brother, "Come on, Al. We have to find a place to stay. I really don't want to sleep in a ditch again tonight."

"Aren't there hotels here? This is a city, right?" Al hurried after his brother in a jog, his eyes scanning the area around him, looking for a sign or a building that resembled a hotel.

Ed waved his hand with a faint wrinkling of his nose. "Nah, not really. There are boarding houses, but hotels aren't really common in this world. Cheap ones, I mean. Seems like only the rich people travel. Anyway, we'll just have to look around till we find something." Ed explained, shifting his suitcase at his side to rest over his right shoulder with a rather graceful movement that belied the fact his arm was actually made of steel and wires.

Al nodded, following close to his brother as he gazed about this new world. "Where are we again? There are so many countries in this world; it's hard to keep track of them all."

"And the borders are changing every day too." Ed grumbled and shook his head as a scowl crawled over his face. "I still can't believe it took us a week to get into the Netherlands. I think we should just sneak past the boarders from now on. I hate all this red tape they are forcing everyone to go through." Ed griped then changed directions at the last second and tugged on Al's arm, dragging his brother left down another main street and his golden eyes immediately roamed the area looking for a building that promised at least a possible bed to sleep in for the night.

Frowning, Al shook his head, turning his shoulder to the side to pass a man and yet continue walking next to Ed. "Brother, we can't do that." He scolded and pointed at a building only to have Ed shake his head and they continued on. "You know what Mr. Hughes said, if the government catches us sneaking past their procedures, we could be arrested on sight, or worse, sent to a camp."

Ed scowled even as he looked down another street and sent small children rushing in the other direction with shrieks about a monster. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Well, I can still complain, can't I? I think it's stupid…"

"Shh!" Al hissed and nudged his brother's arm. "I agree, but be quiet about it. We're in public. You know what he said about spies." Al whispered and looked over his shoulder at that very moment as though expecting to see two men in hats and dark glasses following them.

With another shrug, Ed continued leading the way, weaving his way through the streets expertly and leaving Al to follow in his current. "Whatever."

"It does matter, Brother. This world is at War and the people are particularly volatile right now."

Shaking his head, Ed took a sharp right and Al hopped back a step then continued following him. "This world is always at war. If it's not some small country, it's a city in the middle of nowhere." Ed sighed and frowned as he took a left at the corner, moving into the dingier side of the city were the luckily-employed members of society were located.

"Why are we stopping here again?" Al asked with a sigh. "We could have just taken the train-"

"Taking the train costs money and we aren't exactly rolling in the dough, Al. Our lazy father didn't think about any possibilities of me having to stay. All he saw was his 'noble' suicide." He frowned and stomped down the road.

Al paused and frowned at the retreating back of his brother. He knew Ed still didn't forgive his father for what he had done to their mother, but on some level he knew he had enjoyed being with his father for as short of a time as it was – though Ed still didn't forgive him for having run off again shortly after helping him build the make-shift automail.

"Hey, come on Al! Don't get lost!" Ed shouted, waving his hand. Al blinked in surprise upon realizing he had stopped walking as his thoughts fell upon their father. He still wished he had been able to meet him. He only vaguely remembered seeing his back, and then that one night their father had gone back to Rizenbul and he had talked with him late into the night. Well, he had done most of the talking, his dad hadn't really talked much other than to smile or make a small comment here or there. It was the only memory he held, and yet, it was empty with his father's lack of interaction.

"-in Norway. I heard a rumor that Adolf captured a heavy water plant there and he's using it to try and make a bom- are you even listening?" Ed asked, turning to glare down at his brother – he was going to enjoy that view for as long as possible.

"What? Oh! Sorry, Ed. I was just thinking." Al mumbled.

Ed raised a brow at his brother and studied him, but he shrugged off the unease and continued with his quiet ramblings to his brother. "Well, anyway, if my sources are correct, Huskisson is working there, helping to make another Uranium bomb; or something called 'atomic' bomb."

Frowning deeply, Al nodded, looking around the street, trying to look casual so as they wouldn't attract attention. "Are we going to sneak in or are we just going to storm the place?"

Ed grinned silly at his brother, "Have more faith in me, Al!" He snickered, "I was thinkin' we could sneak in."

Al smiled nervously, "But…"

"Yeah, yeah, it's heavily guarded and they are trained to shoot on sight. What's the big deal? We've gone up against homunculi and crazy radicals back home!" Ed reminded him –then winced as his ears processed what he had just said. He had called Amestris home again. He was trying to not do that anymore. For all intents and purposes, this world was home now. But, it was just so empty… so cold, and without…

Shaking his head, Ed sighed, "Anyway, I also heard that the British…" he paused to make sure no one turned to listen to them even as they continued to weave their way through the now thinly traveled streets, "…are also watching the place. They are trying to make the same thing, but the one difference is that they don't have Huskisson's prior knowledge. If Germa… er… if _they_ give Huskisson the funding he needs to finish his work, he could create countless bombs and take out the world." Ed hissed at Al, crossing the street and taking a right this time down the next street, his golden eyes continually searching for a place they could possibly stay.

Frowning lightly, Al shook his head with a sad look in his warm eyes, "This is all so confusing. Why would he want to hurt so many people?"

Rolling his eyes, Ed shook his head and waved his hand at his side, "Duh, because he's crazy, Al." Ed pointed out, this time leading his little brother down an alley that looked promising –if dirty.

Shaking his head again, Al stepped onto the boards there were laid in the dirt and mud along the side of the alley to the side of a drainage ditch and watched the back of Ed's head as he followed him carefully upon the slanted and slippery board. "I don't think I would have understood this war even if I _had_ been here as long as you where, Brother. I just… I just can't understand why these people fight against each other so easily and kill without regard. Don't they _want_ peace? You'd think they enjoyed fighting and killing."

Ed stopped in his tracks and frowned deeply. He mulled over Al's words before he turned and sighed, his right hand moving the suitcase off his shoulder and back to his side, "I can't answer that, Al. They're history is different than ours, and their lives seem more miserable than back ho… back in Amestris. But at the same time, we have even done the same things they are doing now. Think about it, the war against the Ishbalans. We did the same damn thing to them as the German's are doing to the 'undesirables'." Ed scowled after saying that particular word.

"But the Germans are singling out races and groups of people to persecute. They are _actively _seeking out new people to… to… torture!" He waved a hand out before letting it fall back to his side to slap against his thigh in exasperation. "I heard the other day that they are starting to tell people that handi-"

"_I know!"_ Ed hissed and glared. He had always hated being referred to as handicapped –a cripple, an invalid, disabled, lame- it made him feel like he was some sort of animal that the government wanted to put down and get rid of. And the German government _was_ starting to do such a thing –killing off those whom they considered 'inferior' or 'imperfect'. It all had to do with that stupid Aryan idea.

Al's brows knitted together as he lowered his eyes, sadness and something else –something similar to fear and worry lingered within the silvery-brown depths of his eyes, "I'm just worried. Brother, if they find out…"

"They _won't!_" Ed hissed. "Why do you think I wear long sleeves and gloves? It's not a fashion statement; it's to keep them from finding out. I don't want to draw attention to myself. But we need to stop Huskisson. We messed up stopping him the first time; we need to finish the job."

Raising his eyes, Al studied Ed's face, taking in the stress that was beginning to mar his face more deeply –there were lines in his face he hadn't seen before. The years alone in this world had been hard on his brother. Al nodded then straightened up, his shoulders being thrown back as he smiled with determination. "Yes. We'll do it right this time."

Ed's eyes softened and he grinned silly as a small hint of the great weight he constantly carried upon his shoulders lifted, Ed straightened up and lifted his left hand, curling his fingers into a tight fist and snickered in triumphant delight "Yeah, we'll kick his ass right this time."

Al shook his head but continued to smile as he took a step forward, urging his brother's mind back into the task of finding a place for them to stay for the duration of their time in Amsterdam.

The brother's continued down the alley together, the aura hovering over them that seemed to lighten the heavy worry they both felt for the other. For all the fear Ed held for his brother's well being, that same fear was far deeper – and rightly so - that Al felt towards his older brother. With Germany officially at war with their surrounding countries, it was getting harder and harder to live, and it was becoming harder and harder to not be scared that Ed's arm and leg would be discovered. If he was exposed, would they throw him into one of those camps? Or would they take him to some lab somewhere and study him? Automail wasn't even a far-away twinkle in this world's eye; it simply didn't exist and if this world were to see it, fear would probably be the result of his discovery. Neither awe nor scientific advancement would bring the country into the mindset of trying to learn the secrets of building artificial limbs; fear, hatred, and destruction would be the deciding factors, and death would soon follow this young man with a metal arm and leg.

Tolerance was not a virtue in this world.

"Hey, Al! I think I see a place up ahead." Ed glanced over his shoulder, once again lifting his suitcase over his right shoulder as he pointed to a building with a sign in the window that said 'Room for Rent' in dainty handwriting.

Al dragged his eyes away from Ed's feet and looked to his brother's face then over to the squat, dirty building that leaned heavily to the left that Edward was pointing too. He didn't think he'd ever get past how poor this world seemed to be. Amestris by comparison seemed to be royalty! Here it was dirty, dank, even the sun didn't seem to shine as brightly. Even the poorest people in Amestris had enough to buy food and clothing for their families. It was so different and seemed so unfair.

Ed led the way to the building, dodging a horse and carriage and then an automobile before he made it to the other side and hopped over the ditch that differentiated between the road and the 'sidewalk' of old wooden boards in the mud.

Knocking firmly on the door, where it rattled and shivered from Ed's strong motion, Al joined his side and they waited quietly.

Al gripped his own suitcase more tightly at his side, feeling the wooden handle in his hand grow steadily warmer as his nerves flared. For some reason he was nervous. There was something about this building that made him uneasy.

"I'm coming!" A voice shouted through the small building. Shuffling and rummaging about could be heard before footsteps made their way to the door. A woman pulled the door open before she lifted her apron to wipe her hands dry. She looked to the two young men and smiled warmly as she lifted a small hand to push a few stray strands of blonde hair back behind her left ear. Her hair was tied back loosely at the nape of her neck and it tumbled over one shoulder and down the side of her threadbare blue and yellow flower dress and her old, graying apron. Her smile had never faltered as the boys gaped at her, instead, it seemed to brighten all the further as her now clean hands smoothed her apron down and her hands folded in front of her body. "Mornin', and how might I be helping you boys?"

The Elric brothers stood frozen, their eyes locked on the woman's face and their hearts hammered in their chests. Al was the first to breath as his mind only registered one thing, "Auntie Sara?" He asked, his voice quivering.

The woman blinked in surprise, her brows lifting and her lips parting as the smile fell faintly. "Excuse me?"

Ed snapped awake and smiled sheepishly, "Uh, sorry! You… you look so much like an aunt of ours!" He laughed nervously and scratched at the back of his head. "She died several years ago after an accident. Uh, sorry," he hesitated before deciding to just get to the point. "Um… I saw the sign in the window; about the room for rent."

The woman took a moment to digest their accents as well as their words before she relaxed faintly and she smiled, "Yes, the room. Come inside and have some coffee and we can talk for a bit." She smiled warmly and stepped to the side, motioning the boys inside.

Ed nodded faintly before he stepped inside with Al close behind. Al's eyes continued to stare at the woman with a mixture of awe and pain. He wanted so much to hug her like he used to do when he was little –but in a way, this world was yet again playing a cruel joke on them – this wasn't really their Auntie Sara, and he _knew _that! But it was so hard to look at her and not see the woman whom they had known for the first six and seven years of their lives.

The boys took seats around the small table that was literally only five feet away from the door. The chairs creaked under their weight and Al shot Ed a nervous look as his chair suddenly shifted to one side before remaining still after it settled to one side on its lopsided legs. He hoped this wasn't a bad sign.

Ed grinned silly and partially waved a hand at Al to not say a word.

The woman shut her door before she took the ten steps back to her kitchen and pulled three different mugs from a cabinet. "I don't have sugar or lemon, and with this war that is threatenin' to happen, sugar and fruits have become commodities as precious as gold. I hope black coffee is alright with yous sirs?" She asked as she glanced over her shoulder.

"That's fine. I like it black." Ed grinned silly –it was his only defense against the emotions welling up inside of him. This woman looked just like their friend's mother; it was just too much to handle, yet here they were, sitting in her kitchen and watching her move about and work with the same grace and ease that he remembered from his childhood when she used to get them cookies and milk after playing in the yard all afternoon, or when she was getting the table ready for dinner on those odd nights he and Al had been invited to stay for dinner.

"Just water for me, thank you." Al told her then smiled faintly again. He was recovering slowly; not as quickly as Edward had, but he wasn't sure he could. He had truly loved his 'Auntie Sara' as a little boy. She was like his second mother growing up. She boxed his ears just as harshly as his own mother when he and Ed had done something wrong. Of course, she couldn't replace his mother no matter how much he had adored her, but he had still felt her death harshly after Winry had told them she and Uncle had died.

She smiled and nodded to Al. She finished filling two mugs with coffee before she filled a third with water. She expertly carried the three mugs to the table and set them before their respective owner.

With a heavy sigh that said she had been working long before dawn had been a glimmer in the eye of many; the woman sat down and seemed to deflate, enjoying the feeling of sitting still for a breath or two before she smiled once more and took a sip of her coffee. "Now then, who might you two boys be?"

"I'm Ed, and this my little brother, Al." Ed explained, eyeing the coffee then taking a drink. Truth be told, he didn't like coffee too much, but tea wasn't as common the farther north they came. So he figured he might as well get his caffeine fix where he could get it. And besides; he didn't want to be rude.

"Edward and Alphonse Elric, Ma'am." Al answered again, glancing at Ed as though he should know to also include last names. "May we ask your name?" He turned back to her, a faint pink coloring his cheeks as he asked shyly.

She smiled, "I'm Sarah Madzhar."

Ed's smile faded just faintly but he smiled brightly once again, "It's nice to meet you. That's funny that you have the same name as our aunt."

A smile danced upon the woman's face. Her features were still soft and delicate, but there was a weariness that was eating away at her and taking her youth quickly with it in the form of lines and a thinning of he once full and rosy cheeks. "I was rather shocked to see you two on my doorstep; and then to hear you call me auntie! My heart nearly jumped from my chest! I do have two nephews on my brother's side, but they are only four and five. I momentarily wondered how long I had been away at work!" She laughed airily while blushing at the silliness of her words, but at the giggle Al gave her, a motherly spark flickered within her eyes and she looked to the boys again. She didn't relax just yet and her shoulder's remained stiff, but she did seem to lower some wall at the way she tilted her head. "Where are you two boys from?" She asked, taking another drink of her coffee.

"Well… no where really." Ed grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head and sending his ponytail waving about behind him. "We're sorta like vagabonds, traveling wherever we need to be. I was in London for a while, and we just got done traveling through Austria and Germany. We stayed for a time in France…"

Sarah listened quietly, though the stiffness in her shoulders returned more noticeably and clearly told the brothers that much of what she thought of them wasn't very high.

Ed shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Err…" He began but didn't know quite where to pick up the conversation once it had fallen flat.

"Our father died a few months ago," Al interrupted smoothly, "and we've been traveling mostly. He was a Professor in Munich for the last few years. We didn't really want to stay in the city anymore, so we've been using what little money we have left to try and find a place we belong." Al explained smoothly without stuttering once.

Sarah's shoulders relaxed and she returned his warm smile though it was sad, "I'm sorry your father died. It's hard times now to lose a loved one." She explained, her eyes falling and her brows knitting together as sadness as thick as night seemed to settle upon her thin shoulders.

Ed shrugged slightly and looked to the side, not wanting to deal with it.

Al watched the woman for a moment and frowned sharply as he realized she had just lost a loved one as well. He looked to the table and nodded, sadness washing over him completely. He allowed himself to remember that he would never know his father –he had only spent one day with him that he could actually remember, and he had been a suit of armor at the time. It wasn't fair. He felt cheated in a way, though the pain was eased ever so faintly just knowing that his father's last words where for him.

Studying the brothers in silence, the woman looked to her coffee before she nodded as though shaking away the darkness she had created. She cleared her throat and offered them a weak smile as she straightened in her chair. "Well then, what do you two do? If you travel so much why come to Amsterdam?"

"…uh, we're scientists. We thought we would look around, get a feel for the city, and if we like it here, maybe see about finding a job here. We aren't very sure why we chose this place, but we might end up learning a thing or two from some of the scientists in the local university. Maybe do some of the rocketry we learned from Doctor Oberth back in Transylvania. Or we might end up causing more trouble than we're worth and get run out of town." Ed looked back to her and plastered that silly, sheepish and yet goofy grin on his face once more to convey with his face more than his words he wasn't sure yet why they stopped here.

Sarah lifted a brow and a half smirk crawled over her lips before she took a sip of her coffee, "Is that so? Well then, I might have to watch you boys." She told them before she set the coffee mug down with a weighty 'thunk'. "I charge five dollars a week for the room. If you would like meals included for the two of you, that will be ten dollars extra." She explained then frowned, lifting a finger to wag only once in the air before her hand dropped once more to her coffee mug. "With the prices of food these days, it costs more to eat than to sleep with a roof over ones head. And I'm afraid I only have the one bed, but I have enough quilts to make a right fine bed on the floor if neither of you wants to share the bed."

She paused and tapped her mug, looking to the boys then glancing towards the three doors off to right. She looked back to her coffee mug then back to a room that was pressed into the corner of the house. "Well…" She hesitated, looking rather nervous before she parted her lips to continue speaking, "I-I do have another room and bed. If you're willing to give me an extra three dollars a week, I'll clean that room out and let one of you boys stay in there.

Ed and Al both looked to each other, their brows raised high on their brows. This was less than twenty dollars a week! Granted it might have been expressive, if she wasn't correct about the food. Al clearly remembered a single apple back in Germany costing ten francs! The two brothers stared evenly back at each, talking silently concerning the price. How it was cheaper than staying in a boarding house, Al relaying they shouldn't waste their money, Ed stating through a flare in his eyes that she obviously needed the money, other before they even made a sound to discuss it, they both nodded first to each other and then to her with their golden and silvery hazel eyes shining in satisfaction at the older woman.

"Then I guess it's an extra three a week." Ed stated and sat up straight in his chair, a smug expression spreading over his face.

"Thank you for everything." Al said, bowing his head for a moment before he looked back to her and grinned as though he really was trying to get the corners of his mouth to reach his ears. It felt almost too easy! They just got off the train and here they were, sitting in their new home for rent and a warm dinner promised to fill their bellies tonight.

Ed stood suddenly and rummaged about in his pockets, mumbling under his breath till he found his wallet and dug through it, narrowing his eyes as he searched inside it till he pulled out two ten marks and held them out over the table to the woman. Sarah gazed up at him in confusion, but Ed blinked and hesitated before he grunted and shrugged his left shoulder and slapped the paper to the tabletop in front of her. "Uh, it's for the first week." He explained simply and shoved his wallet back into his pocket then once again took his seat and took another gulp of coffee.

"Mother! I'm home!"

Sarah perked up and turned in her sat towards the door before she looked back to Ed and Al, "Awe, that is my daughter, let me introduce you three." She said even as the door burst open behind her and her daughter came to a halt in the entryway.

"Daughter?" Ed and Al chorused in surprise – and Ed quickly had to mop at the spray of coffee across the table he had spluttered past his lips.

A nod and a soft smile were all Sarah gave the boys, choosing to ignore the mess Ed had caused. She stood and motioned her daughter in the doorway to come inside. The young blonde woman hesitated and entered the room cautiously. She wasn't nervous per say and appeared more wary and suspicious of the strange men in their home than frightened. Sarah's daughter straightened her back and eyed each young man in her kitchen before she leaned into the door heavily to shut it with her shoulder before she moved to her mother's side – only to be pushed in front of her with her mother's hands upon either of her shoulders.

"Edward, Alphonse, this is my daughter, Winifred. Winifred, this is Edward and Alphonse Elric. They will be renting the spare rooms from us." Patricia explained.

Alphonse's jaw slackened, "Winr..." He stopped himself and just stared. His stomach flipped and his palms grew clammy as he stared up into the face of his childhood friend – but it wasn't her at the same time; her eyes were too dark. Something exotic was within her dark colored eyes, something her mother did not have.

Winifred's face twitched upon hearing her mother's words, but she smiled faintly –forcing it out skillfully so it looked warm and genuine as she bowed her head a bit to them, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Edward and Alphonse."

Ed sat very still as he stared at Winifred; he felt his jaw had slackened and his eyes had widened faintly several minutes ago as he took in the young woman before him. He couldn't stop himself from staring at her. She looked so much like her…

It was only when Al nudged him awake with a kick to his shin did Edward stumble to his feet and bow a fraction of an inch to the girl. He felt his cheeks flare into color as he peeked back up at her from under his lashes. But upon closer inspection he noted her dark eyes, the faint slant of her nose, the darker tint of her hair and Edward felt his heart slow, his stomach drop back into place and felt a weight once more settle upon his shoulders as his face drained of color while a frown pulled his face down.

As much as it looked like her, it wasn't… Winifred might have resembled Winry, but she wasn't her.

Alphonse managed a smile and a little wave, "Pleasure to meet you, Winifred." He told her politely.

Winifred smiled faintly at Al before she looked back to Edward and nodded to him.

He froze as he stood there, staring at her face before he realized she was looking at him and he had been caught. His amber eyes darted away and he shoved a hand into his pocket then pulled it back out nervously. "…Uh… hi…" He stammered out, keeping his eyes lowered from hers before he sat back down heavily, the chair creaking under him.

He didn't know what to think, it was too soon to have found Winry's double.

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"You think they're done yet?" Alphonse asked, his arms behind his head as he stared up at the light blue afternoon with the hint of clouds floating in the sky. The two young men sat outside of their current place of residence, waiting for the women inside to finish cleaning out the extra room Sarah had offered for the extra three dollars a week.

"Who knows." Ed whispered, his head bowed down towards his chest as he stared into the mud.

The two certainly made a pair sitting outside of the faintly tilting home. One gazed up at the sky with all the hope and dreams that a young boy his age should have, while his brother next to him stared at the ground in dejection as his shoulders bowed upon the weight that many didn't see in a man till he was nearing the end of his days.

A yell startled the two young men and they turned their heads towards the door as something heavy was dropped on the floor.

Ed was the first to his feet followed quickly by Al as the two wrenched the door open together and poked their heads inside only to find Sarah staring at her daughter with a helpless but determined look on her face.

Winifred glanced over at the door and turned quickly, wiping at her cheek roughly. "I know it's just a room, but this isn't fair." She whispered harshly and turned away from her mother, heading back into the last room.

A frown fell over both of the brother's faces as they turned their gazes to Sarah and waited.

The woman pointedly ignored them and bent down, picking up a dressing box – the heavy object the boys had obviously heard outside – and she placed the necklace that had fallen out of it back inside before she turned, heading into what had to be her room.

Alphonse shifted his weight to his other foot as he looked to his brother, quietly asking him what was going on.

Edward never looked to his brother as he moved inside and made his way to the back bedroom where Winifred disappeared. He stood in the doorway, watching the young woman pull her clothing out of the dresser drawers and Ed's jaw clenched as he stared.

"Put those back." He growled, his golden eyes flashing dangerously as Winifred jumped in surprise and stared at Ed with shock and just a hint of fear and uncertainty.

"W-what?" She asked in a quavering voice.

Ed's fingers curled tightly upon the doorknob. "I said, put those back." He ordered and turned away. Trying to keep himself from stomping holes into the floor of the house, Ed stormed to the first bedroom door and forced Sarah to stop just inside of her doorway.

"Edward!" Sarah gasped and placed a hand to her swiftly beating heart. She couldn't hide her fear as easily as Winifred could and she took a step back from the young man blocking her only exit.

"Is that what you meant by clean out the 'spare room'? By kicking Winr… Winifred… out of her room?" Ed demanded.

Sarah's brows twitched slightly, but as she recognized the reason for his anger, the woman relaxed and her hand fell from her chest and let it fall to her side. "It's just a roo…"

A snarl cut her off as Ed took a threatening step forward. "It's not just some random room. That's her place. Put her stuff back, I don't want it." Ed stated, staring down at the woman.

Staring right back up at him, Sarah's thin fingers curled into a fist. "I can't."

Ed's brows knitted together in confusion, "Huh?"

"I need the money. An extra three a week will put food on the table that I wouldn't otherwise be able to provide for my daughter."

Rolling his eyes, Ed crossed his arms and stared back at the woman, "Look, aunt… uh… Mrs. Madzhar… I don't care about having an actual bed. We're not going to be here long and I'm not going to kick some girl out of her room." He stated and stared down at her, then frowned at the unsettled look in her eyes. "Just charge me for the blankets and we'll call it even." He told her simply and turned, stalking out of the room.

Al fled from the doorway as his brother approached. Ed jerked the front door after him – meaning to close it behind him – but he paused and frowned as he stared up at the top hinge. Ed wiggled the door a few times, taking note that the hinge caught on itself and grated against the pin. _'Probably rusty,'_ Ed muttered to himself. He shrugged the thought away and turned to close the door securely behind him, but he paused as Winifred's dark, brown and blue flecked eyes caught his.

The girl blushed faintly as she stared at him then nodded slightly, mouthing a 'thank you' to him before she fled back into her room.

Ed felt his cheeks flush as well and he quickly pulled the door shut – then scowled up at the hinge as the door caught on itself yet again and it took a quick jerk of his arm to close it.

Flopping down next to his brother, Edward muttered under his breath as he once again resumed staring at the dirt.

Al peeked over at his brother and shifted nervously upon the bench they sat on. He looked away but found his gaze being drawn back to his brother as he studied his fuming sibling.

"Hey, Ed?" His quavering voice was soft compared to the grunt Ed used to acknowledge him. Al looked down at his hands before he sighed, "You didn't give Winifred her room back just because she looks like Winry, right?"

The frown that had occupied Ed's face softened but his lips now formed a thin line. He looked away from his brother and crossed his arms, "Come on Al, give me a bit more credit." But his voice was weak, and even he wasn't sure if he should believe himself.

---------- ----------

Winry sighed, frowning deeply as she sat under the tree, waiting for Ed to appear. She was rather perturbed that her dream wasn't happening sooner. Maybe her mind had finally lost that heavenly dream world she had stumbled upon so many months ago. She prayed not. She didn't want to loose that yet.

Looking away from the shimmering surface of the water that flickered in the dying sunlight, Winry's breath came heavily as she looked to the grass at her side and she began to pick at the blades of grass, tugging them free of the soil only to discard and repeat her actions.

Maybe it was because she was still upset and feeling guilty for calling her grandmother and telling her she wasn't coming home.

That particular conversation had been horrible and gut-wrenching. She didn't wish to repeat it, but she did agree to return for her things – though it was really just so she and her grandmother could have a proper goodbye.

"Hey."

Winry jumped and twisted out in the grass, staring up at Edward with incredibly wide and startled eyes. "Edward! You scared me!"

Blinking and then twisting his face up in a look of confusion, Ed took a moment to glance about the area as though looking for something before stepping closer to Winry and squatting down next to her, "And who the hell were you expecting if not me?" He asked – and then couldn't resist smiling at her narrowed eyes and puffed up cheeks as he watched the steam rise within her as she grew defensive.

Her lips parted, about to scold him, or yell at him, or maybe even lecture him – whatever she was about to do, Edward was quick to stop.

Reaching out, Ed placed both his hands upon her cheeks with his thumb over her lips and he leaned closer to her and watched her narrowed eyes soften and shift from annoyed to curious.

Winry's cheeks slowly flushed and her lips parted faintly against the gentle strokes of his thumb. His amber eyes – those golden, fiery eyes that haunted her every step, even in the middle of the day – stared directly into her own as though he were trying to stroke her soul; and she was mildly certain he had done just that. She inhaled slowly, her lips parting just a bit more as she prepared to speak, but Edward interrupted her again.

"I just wanted to look at you." He explained, bowing his head closer, "I just wanted to look at your eyes and remember just how blue they are." He whispered.

A blush flared across her cheeks and Winry shyly peeked away from him, but Ed grunted in disapproval. Looking back to him and having her eyes caught by his desperately searching orbs, she decided this wasn't so bad and she lifted a hand and pressed her palms to his cheek, urging him closer. Edward obliged and descended upon her, drawing her into a delicate, gentle kiss that curled her toes and stole her breath, and all the while he stared at her through half lidded eyes and stared into her brilliant and warm blue eyes.

Yes, this really wasn't so bad after all.

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Author's Note:

…. I don't think I even should bother apologizing for how long it took me to get this out. I really am sorry – but my muse decided to take a holiday for this particular story. But that's okay; because I actually thought of a very-very good story-plot tie in for this, so I can't complain other than the fact I suck at getting out a chapter in a timely fashion.

And I did squat on research for this chapter. I have no idea what kind of currency they use in the Netherlands, so… I'm sticking with dollar bills… yeah. But… again, it all ties in later. I just need to get an old map that dates back to how Europe looked before WWII. I want to get my locations and war events right if NOTHING else. (for example, the rent. I have no idea what they charged back then, but hey, it's pre-war and stuff was expensive, so I'm just assuming they charged outrageous amounts of money.)

Hmm, and by a show of hands, who saw Winifred and her mother eventually showing up in the story? ;) teehee, yeah, I figured that was expected. But it's still fun - It's going to be even better in later chapters…. stops herself here so she doesn't ruin the plot.

Again, sorry it was late, but this chapter was actually kinda fun to correct after the muse hit me again. I have it mostly plotted out (a little of the middle needs to be weeded out, but it's on its way ;) ) and the ending is already decided upon and practically written in my head.

I really do swear that I'll finish this story (as well as any story I post on this site). I swore to myself that if I posted a chaptered-fic, I would finish it no matter what, even if I had to be a loser and post just a 'this is what was planned…' update just so you people know how it was supposed to end. It might take some time, but I'll finish it. I won't leave you hanging on any story! Promise!  this is my solemn vow! Really!

Oh yes, and special thanks to Leberinto de Cristal. You gave me a review, even after seven months since my last update, and really, you were the driving force in what recharged my muse. Thank you so much, without that review this update probably wouldn't have happened this soon. I'm honestly in your debt. Thank you for taking the time to review! It meant a lot to me and it kept me going. Thanks!

And with that, I hope I can get the next update finished in a more timely manner ;) thank you for being patient and I hope this chapter lives up to what you were hoping to see. And reviews are more than welcome, as are questions and suggestions. I'd like to hear what you think or what you would like to see!

Welp, till next time! I hope you enjoy!

Melissa the Damgel


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